LeBron James jumps ship from Coca-Cola to PepsiCo and will be the face of a new Mountain Dew drink
- LeBron James has signed a multi-year parternship with PepsiCo.
- James was previously partnered with rival Coca-Cola for nearly 18 years.
- James will now be promoting PepsiCo's new Mountain Dew lineup.
LeBron James has officially switched from Coke to Pepsi.
James and PepsiCo officially announced a multi-year partnership on Wednesday, according to Mike McCarthy of Front Office Sports. James previously had a partnership with PepsiCo's main competitor Coca-Cola dating back to his rookie season in 2003, endorsing its Sprite and Powerade brands.
James' contract with Coca-Cola expired in September, and the two parties agreed to mutually part ways after the deal.
"LeBron's contract came up at a time when both he and The Coca-Cola Company were actively reviewing all of its resources to make sure it was investing in places that ensured long-term growth," A Coca-Cola spokesperson said, according to McCarthy. "After many discussions with Lebron and his team, we mutually agreed to part ways."
Now, James will be promoting PepsiCo's new Mountain Dew energy drink MTN DEW RISE.
"When I first learned about the message behind the drink - the fact that every day is a chance to rise for all of us - that really resonated with me," James said, according to McCarthy.
James' new deal with PepsiCo will also activate across other categories, including snacks.
PepsiCo replaced Coca-Cola as the official food and beverage partner of the NBA and WNBA in 2015 after Coca-Cola's 28-year partnership with the league as the previous official partner ended. Now James is set to be the latest PepsiCo's latest asset in linking Mountain Dew with the NBA brand, joining other big-name stars, including Zion Williamson and Joel Embiid.
The 2020 NBA 3-Point Contest introduced the "DEW Zone" with Mountain Dew-branded basketballs worth three points each. That branding continued into this year's 3-Point Contest as well.
James' previous partnership with Coca-Cola was one of his career's longest professional relationships and even yielded him his own custom soda "Sprite 6 Mix by Lebron James."
This week has been a week of shifting loyalties for the NBA superstar in more than one iconic rivalry. The new partnership was officially announced just one day after it was reported that James, who has previously been outspoken about being a fan of the New York Yankees, purchased a stake in the rival Boston Red Sox.