By Jordan Valinsky | CNN
New York — Perhaps best known for his on-court dominance, NBA player Steph Curry is hoping some of that success translates into the crowded court of sports drinks.
Curry is launching a new sports hydration drink with former first lady Michelle Obama’s drink brand, PLEZi. It marks his entrance into the roughly $25 billion market, which is filled with competitors ranging from Leo Messi and Logan Paul to Coca-Cola’s BodyArmor and PepsiCo’s Gatorade that are all vying for customers’ seemingly endless thirst for these drinks.
The drink, called PLEZi Hydration, is debuting with three flavors — lemon lime, tropical punch and orange mango twist — and is available at Amazon and at select grocery stores in California, the home of Curry’s team, the Golden State Warriors. A 16.9-ounce bottle costs $2.29, roughly in the same price range as other hydration drinks.
Sports drinks are projected to balloon into a $32.6 billion market in the United States by 2028, according to data given to CNN from research firm Mintel. The category is growing as customers seek “better for you” alternatives to soda in drinks that claim to have additional nutritional value.
Last week, trendy prebiotic soda brand Poppi sold for $1.6 billion to PepsiCo, perhaps signaling that Big Beverage doesn’t see demand waning anytime soon.
PLEZi Chief Operating Officer Anup Shah believes the taste and ingredients of its new drink, which “delivers on Steph’s high expectations,” will help set it apart in a crowded field.
Curry and his wife, Ayesha, were “instrumental” in creating the drink, Shah said. PLEZi Hydration contains double the electrolytes, no added sugar, lower sodium content and more potassium compared to its rivals.
“When we did a review of the market, a lot of the existing sports drinks have a lot of either high sugar or a lot of artificial sweeteners,” Shah told CNN. “What we love about (Curry) is he brings credibility to the space… and he wanted to put out a product that was a better option for consumers.”
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Curry and his wife also serve as investors and brand partners at PLEZi, which is still a small player in the food space. The NBA star’s “connection to health and fitness is palpable, and that will resonate strongly, especially in the competitive US market,” said Tom Khan-Lavin, the chief executive of drinks marketing agency YesMore.
“In a crowded market, a recognizable and respected figure creates instant trust and brand recognition,” Khan-Lavin told CNN. “Moreover, they arrive with a ready-made audience, significantly reducing the need for traditional marketing spend.”
PLEZi, which translates to joy and fun in Haitian Creole, launched two years ago on the promise of making healthier alternatives to kids’ drinks, like juice boxes. Beyond Curry’s hydration drink, the company has a carbonated soda called PLEZi Fizz — all part of brand’s plan to “age up” the portfolio, Shah added.
The-CNN-Wire
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