Lionel Messi is challenging Prime with a new sports drink

 

CNN in New York —

The G.O.A.T. is a new competitor for Logan Paul's Prime drink.

In an effort to tap into the $33 billion energy drink market, which is dominated by well-established competitors like Paul's Prime, Gatorade, and BodyArmor, soccer star Lionel Messi has teamed up with White Claw's parent company to develop a new hydration drink.

Even with Messi's celebrity, the drink's market is still difficult due to established rivals. Additionally, as Americans drink less alcohol, this drink marks Mark Anthony Brands' first push into the non-alcoholic drink market.

Messi's low-sugar beverage, Más+, contains vitamins and electrolytes without adding artificial sweeteners, colors, or caffeine. It is available in four flavors: Orange d'Or, which honors the eight times he has won the coveted Ballon d'Or award, and Miami Punch, which is named for his current team, Inter Miami.

 

The beverage, which comes in bottles and cans, will launch in Miami on June 13 before going nationwide on its website in July and hitting US retailers in August. A worldwide debut is scheduled for later this year.

Major League Soccer reported that since Messi joined the team, sponsorship income has increased by 15% to $587 million, with notable brands including Celsius serving as the league's official energy drink. The league refrained from commenting right away regarding Messi's possible new challenger. 

The beverage is a part of Mark Anthony Brands' new line of non-alcoholic beverages, which also includes Mike's Hard Lemonade and White Claw. As consumers reduce their alcohol consumption and the lines between categories become less distinct, the company has been adding additional non-alcoholic choices to its lineup, such as White Claw 0% Alcohol Seltzer.

According to Precedence Research, the market for energy and hydration drinks is expected to reach $60 billion by 2032, expanding at a rate of about 6% per year.

However, according to Andrea Hernández, founder of Snaxshot, a platform for food and beverage insights, adding Messi's name to a beverage doesn't ensure success because the market is competitive and controlled by well-established competitors. 

It all boils down to price parity and distribution in this saturated market, she told CNN, "assuming Messi has secured some good deals to try and actually compete with not only Prime but also Gatorade, BodyArmor, and others." "They only have an advantage because of Messi's reputation."

She added that Prime's popularity and distribution haven't yet reached that region, but his "fandom extends wide, and he's almost hero-like for new generation of upcoming athletes, particularly in a massive market like Latin America."

She also points out that the Messi drinks employ cane sugar, which is a recent development in beverage trends as some people find the flavor of some zero-sugar drinks to be off-putting. 

"People tend to overlook the importance of having a delicious product," Hernández remarked. "These new generation energy drinks are aiming to capture Gen Alpha, especially as they enter the teenage years, because that market is up for grabs."

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