Bodyarmor, the sports drink, announced that the brand will become the Official Sports Drink of NCAA championships, including March Madness, beginning in 2019.
The new partnership will make Bodyarmor the Official Sports Drink of the NCAA. As part of the agreement, Bodyarmor’s logo will be seen on coolers, cups, water bottles and on sidelines and bench areas at NCAA championships, which includes the Division I Men’s Basketball Championship and the Final Four this April in Minneapolis. In addition, Bodyarmor sports drink will be available in all sideline coolers and in locker rooms.
“The NCAA has 90 exhilarating championships, including March Madness, one of the most exciting events in all of sports, and we are thrilled that Bodyarmor is going to be the hydration brand for teams and student-athletes participating in NCAA championships,” said Mike Repole, founder and chairman, Bodyarmor. “We know that athletes at every level are already choosing Bodyarmor as their sports drink and we are excited for the opportunity to hydrate the country’s best collegiate athletes as they compete at the highest level.”
Bodyarmor is a premium sports drink with potassium-packed electrolytes, vitamins and coconut water and is made with no artificial flavors, sweeteners and no colors from artificial sources. Consumer demand for a better-for-you sports drink has made Bodyarmor the number three sports drink in the U.S. and it has been the hydration option of choice for many professional athletes and millions of high school and college athletes since its launch in 2011. Bodyarmor is also the official sports drink of UFC and boasts an extensive roster which includes former collegiate athletes and professional athlete partners, all of whom are investors in the brand, including James Harden, Mike Trout, Dustin Johnson, Ryan Blaney, Andrew Luck, Mookie Betts, Anthony Rizzo, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Megan Rapinoe and Diana Taurasi.
“We look forward to working with Bodyarmor in this new partnership and welcome the brand as the Official Sports Drink of NCAA championships, which includes March Madness,” said Dan Gavitt, NCAA senior vice president of basketball. “We thank Bodyarmor for supporting NCAA student-athletes, and we also thank our Corporate Champion Coca-Cola for opening the door to this new relationship. We plan to work very closely with Bodyarmor to make this a successful venture.”
In August, The Coca-Cola Company, an Official Corporate Champion of the NCAA, purchased a minority stake in Bodyarmor, to become the second largest shareholder behind founder and chairman, Mike Repole. Bodyarmor has seen triple digit growth in the sports drink category for five straight years and is on pace to exceed $400 million dollars in retail sales by the end of 2018. In 2013, Kobe Bryant invested in the brand and he is currently one of the top shareholders in the company. Earlier this year, Bryant creative directed Bodyarmor’s largest-ever national advertising campaign.
