🎁 Happy Holidays! We have a gift for you below, but in the meantime, we have some breaking news for you.

NCAA President Charlie Baker's proposed rule changes could revolutionize college sports. Division I schools might soon be allowed to directly compensate athletes, breaking from the NCAA's traditional stance against non-academic payments. A new Division I subdivision could set its own rules and require schools to contribute to a trust fund for athletes.

This shift acknowledges the changing landscape of college sports, aiming to provide fair compensation and flexibility while upholding the student-athlete experience. Baker's proposal could reshape the NCAA, but it remains to be seen how schools will respond. Will this change foster a more equitable system for college athletes? We’ll see 👀 

In today's newsletter, we're diving into the spotlight on PRIME sports hydration drink as the recent beverage sponsor for recent women's college basketball games.

⏰ BREAKING NEWS ⏰ 

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TODAY’S STORY
💥PRIME’S Crossover Into Women’s College Basketball

What is PRIME?

PRIME, founded by social media influencers Logan Paul and KSI and backed by Congo Brands, entered the sports drink market to take on industry giants like Gatorade and Powerade. Later, they ventured into the energy drink sector, challenging Red Bull and Monster.

In January 2022, PRIME, the energy drink company initiated by Logan Paul and KSI, made a remarkable global debut, achieving $250 million in retail sales within its first year.

KSI's manager, Mams Taylor, suggests that PRIME's value may reach an astounding $8-10 billion, solidifying its status as one of the most significant influencer-driven businesses to date.

During recent televised games, some of you might have noticed an unexpected change in player refreshments. Instead of the familiar Gatorade or Powerade bottles, PRIME bottles and towels made an appearance. It was quite a surprise, reminiscent of the time Celcius shook things up by becoming the new field goal net sponsor during a college football game, displacing Allstate. This change caused quite an uproar and caught everyone off guard. Interestingly, before Celcius, hardly anyone paid much attention to the Allstate net, and most couldn't even identify it as Allstate until Celcius stepped in with its aggressively bright colors.

Well that was PRIME on national TV during the women’s games.

Well this time there was no uproar. I wish there was, but this sponsorship kinda moved on in the night. Tbh, that made research for this that much harder. Onward!

How did they become the title beverage sponsor?

PRIME successfully secured sponsorship for two primetime women's college basketball games, featuring four teams, positioning themselves as the official drink provider. Achieving this feat required navigating the challenges inherent to an influencer-backed company, including concerns from organizations about being associated with founders who frequently grab headlines, sometimes for less-than-glorious reasons.

Their partnership with the UFC significantly boosted PRIME's credibility and visibility in the sports industry, a factor that likely played a pivotal role in landing sponsorship deals with college basketball programs.

Thanks to their solid financial resources and marketing budget, supported by their successful founders and the UFC collaboration, PRIME can afford to invest in these college basketball sponsorship deals.

And speaking of numbers, here's a fun fact: PRIME now commands a 5.8% share of the US sports drink market, according to Beverage Digest. To put that in perspective, BodyArmor, recently acquired by Coca-Cola at an $8 billion valuation in November 2021, boasts a 14.4% share, while Powerade holds 11%.

Investment ($)

The costs of sponsoring women's college basketball events or teams vary widely based on factors such as event exposure and sponsorship type. For instance, sponsoring a high-profile tournament like the NCAA Women's Basketball Championship may cost tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Now, considering Gatorade's stronghold as the official NCAA sports drink since 2003, alongside its extended partnership with Powerade through 2030, it's safe to assume these giants invest several million dollars annually in college basketball and related marketing. However, the exact figures remain undisclosed.

Moreover, both Gatorade and Powerade have individual deals with various college athletic programs and conferences, encompassing branding, product placement, and additional marketing efforts.

Given these dynamics, it's reasonable to speculate that PRIME paid a premium for their sponsorship. To borrow a line from Danny Devito's agent, "Yesterday's price is not today's price!"

Let’s talk numbers. [All numbers used are assumptions]

With the foothold Gatorade and Powerade have on the NCAA, we can make a safe assumption that PRIME paid a premium for this. Add on top UCLA, Florida State, South Carolina, and Utah as the four teams in the game, all top 25 teams, tack on an additional premium for that type of exposure.

Securing sponsorship for two high-profile women's college basketball games with exposure on primetime television could cost PRIME in the range of $250,000 to $750,000. PRIME could also allocate more funds for marketing, activation, and logistics. All in, it was more than likely closer to the $750k mark.

Knowing that NCAA Championship games nearly topped 10 million viewers at it’s peak, let’s assume that across both of these games, there was a cumulative two million viewers.

During timeouts and with the camera often focusing on the team benches, along with PRIME's digital ads lighting up the scoreboard, let's play it safe and assume a modest 1% to 2% of viewers made a purchase. That could mean PRIME pocketed approximately $100,000 to $200,000 in sales, with each bottle priced at $5. Not bad.

Benefits of a PRIME/WBB Partnership

Social buzz

• PRIME’s founders, Logan Paul and KSI, have a large and dedicated following on social media, which can be leveraged to create buzz and excitement around the sponsored events. Their combined reach of nearly 400 million social media followers provides an unparalleled opportunity for engagement with fans.

• Although this initial touchpoint did not generate the buzz I would expect, with a bigger, official social media campaign like they typically do with their sponsored athletes/teams/organizations, I’d expect a massive return here for the women’s teams.

Brand awareness

• While PRIME has been spotted in the hands of pre-adolescent boys thanks to male social media influencers, their strategic move into women's college basketball exposes them to an ideal target audience – women college athletes and their fervent fans. This shift enhances their brand exposure and introduces them to a fresh demographic.

• Just like the board rooms, let’s get some estrogen in this!

Good company

• While PRIME may not yet be the official beverage of the NCAA, with Gatorade and Powerade's contracts locked in until 2030, there's something to be said about making headlines with team, conference, or division-level sponsorships.

• Enter Ally, Ally's commitment to equal investment in men's and women's sports through its '50/50 pledge' is not just a PR stunt; it's a savvy business decision. Ally's success in expanding its sports portfolio and growing brand awareness, affinity, and preference speaks volumes. Their investment has doubled their growth!

Slight con…

• Now, here's a heads-up: If you're not familiar with Logan Paul, tread carefully. His past scandals might give you pause. However, don't let that overshadow those money bags. It's all about balancing the scales.

What PRIME brings to WBB

PRIME sure knows how to grab the headlines, and their ascent as one of the most prominent influencer-backed businesses hasn't gone unnoticed. While women's basketball has its own charm, this partnership has the potential to create ripples of controversy and excitement in equal measure.

Now, let's talk about the facts. Take the UConn women's basketball team, for instance. They've been making waves in ticket revenue, outperforming even UConn's football team in the 2021-22 season, with an impressive $2.4 million compared to the football team's $1.1 million, as reported by Sportico.

While PRIME is set to play a meaningful role in women's college basketball, this move could be a pivotal move for them if they can secure in-arena food deals on top of their team bench beverage sponsorship. It's all about expanding the playing field, and PRIME is making its entrance.

Final Thoughts

I’m all in for PRIME's move into women's college basketball. Albeit a Gatorade loyalist. It wouldn't be a surprise to see them recruiting college athletes soon. Just look at Gatorade with Paige Bueckers and Caitlin Clark – big names are a natural fit for PRIME.

I bet their kicking sand for missing those two.

Though we've only seen it in action during two games, I've got my eye on the potential here. PRIME's entry into women's college basketball could be a strategic move for brand growth, and I'm looking forward to watching this partnership evolve.

Cheers to controversy and growth. 📈🤝 

NEWS
👂️This Week’s Locker Room Drama

What’s been going on in the world of women’s college basketball recently? We’ve got you covered.

• Division I schools might soon be allowed to directly compensate athletes, breaking from the NCAA's traditional stance against non-academic payments. (ESPN)

• Olivia Miles, Notre Dame guard, is expected to 10x the financial literacy of her teammates through her recent NIL deal. (ClutchPoints)

• Utah’s Crimson Collective provides new Jeeps to the entire WBB program. (Sports Illustrated)

• A new women’s sports bar focused on only showing women’s games, will be opening in Minnesota. (Axios)

• Alabama is considering a bill that would grant high school athletes the opportunity to profit from their Name, Image, and Likeness. (AL)

MEDIA
🤳Video of The Week

Doorways are becoming “anti-Tall” via Virginia Tech WBB

@lizkitley

Blaming my mistakes on my concussion from this walkway #wbb #virginiatech #basketball