Another Prime placement is on the way. The beverage brand, co-founded last year by influencers KSI and Logan Paul, will become the “official sports drink” of the UFC.
According to Sports Business Journal, Prime and UFC have signed a three-year deal. The agreement will give Prime a presence within the UFC Performance Institute training center, and the brand’s logo will appear on stools and in corners at upcoming UFC events. The in-Octogon Prime branding will first appear at UFC 284, which will begin on February 11.
During the second weekend of February, Prime will make its strongest marketing push to date. In addition to its placement at UFC 284, the brand will also appear in a Super Bowl commercial. That spot will be the first Big Game ad to promote a company led by online video creators.
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Paul and KSI have spent freely to support their entrepreneurial endeavor. Since its launch, Prime has expanded with several new products, including a drink powder and an upcoming energy drink line. The brand’s marketing budget has been high as well. The UFC deal, which also includes TV and video content, has a rumored price tag in the “high-seven figures annually,” per to Sports Business Journal.
UFC SVP of Global Partnerships Paul Asencio noted that Paul’s existing relationship with UFC President Dana White helped seal the deal. “They were incredibly aggressive,” Asencio said. “This product is strapped to a rocket and we look for three things in any deal: revenue, brand equity, and how the new partner is going to market. They checked every box and between us there’s around 400 million social media followers.”
Combat sports are a big part of Prime’s DNA, since its two co-founders met in a pair of high-profile boxing matches in 2018 and 2019. Despite that fit, the brand is showing up across the athletic world. A 2022 partnership introduced Prime to the world of NASCAR, and it has also established a professional relationship with Premier League soccer club Arsenal.
All of that marketing is paying off. Prime has become a buzzy product among celebrities, and if its co-founders play their cards right, they could turn their aggressive spend into an even bigger payday.
