• Loading stock data...
Tuesday, September 16, 2025

Coke to Acquire Majority Stake in BodyArmor?

  • Coke has had a minority stake in BodyArmor since 2018.
  • Yearly BodyArmor sales are up to $1 billion.
Photo: BodyArmor/Design: Alex Brooks

Coca-Cola could be close to acquiring BodyArmor.

Coke has had a minority stake in the sports drink company since 2018 and may be adding it to an owned lineup that already includes Powerade, vitaminwater, Honest Tea, Minute Maid and many others.

“We can confirm that The Coca-Cola Company has filed a pre-acquisition notification with the Federal Trade Commission relating to its intent to acquire a controlling interest in BodyArmor,” the company told BevNET.

BodyArmor co-founder and chairman Mike Repole responded with a statement that Coke acquiring the sports drink company is a “distinct possibility” but that reports about it are “premature.”

Some of the best athletes in the world hold equity stakes in BodyArmor: Naomi Osaka, Mike Trout, James Harden, Megan Rapinoe and Dustin Johnson, among others. Keurig Dr Pepper owns 12.5% as well.

Kobe Bryant reportedly owned around 10% of the company, investing $6 million in BodyArmor starting in March 2014, when the company hadn’t yet seen more than $10 million in annual sales. When Coke acquired its minority stake in Aug. 2018, the valuation of Bryant’s shares increased to $200 million.

Last August, Repole told CNBC that BodyArmor was “either going to go bankrupt in five years or going to be the No. 1 sports drink by 2025.” In the 30 months since the first deal with Coke, BodyArmor has exploded.

  • Yearly sales are up to $1 billion, an increase of 43.4% year-over-year as of Feb. 6, according to Nielsen. 
  • The brand has a 13.7% market share of the sports drink category — surpassing Coke-owned Powerade’s 8.6%.

PepsiCo-owned Gatorade is the market leader with a 70% share, and has been a consumer favorite during the pandemic, receiving a chunk of the credit for PepsiCo’s $22.5 billion in fourth-quarter revenue last year.

Before co-founding BodyArmor in 2011, Repole sold Glaceau — maker of vitaminwater and smartwater — to Coke for $4.1 billion in 2007.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA - APRIL 19: A detailed view of the MLB Debut patch on the jersey of Patrick Monteverde #44 of the Miami Marlins prior to game against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park on April 19, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The Tiny Jersey Patch at the Center of the MLB Rookie Card..

Autographed cards containing a piece of baseball history have upended the market.

Eagles-Chiefs Super Bowl Rematch Could Set More NFL Ratings Records

Fox will nationally televise Sunday afternoon’s matchup.

ESPN’s ‘MNF’ Ratings Up 8% As NFL Surges to Strong Start

ESPN posts its second-best Week 1 “Monday Night Football” audience.
Sep 7, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills fans react during the fourth quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at Highmark Stadium.

As Bills Ascend, Their Next Frontier Lies in Canada

Buffalo and the powerful Canadian entity MLSE come together in a new pact.

Featured Today

opinion

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly from NFL’s Week 1 Broadcasts

Many viewers decried the addition of ads to “NFL RedZone.”
Aug 23, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) leads the team onto the field for warm ups before a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium.
September 7, 2025

Slow Burn: The NFL’s Private-Equity Era So Far

Three deals have been struck to date. But the league is bullish.
Tennis
September 5, 2025

The US Open Is Groaning Under the Weight of Its Own Success

New York’s tennis major is more popular than ever.
Dec 21, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) gets ready to take the field prior to a game against the Houston Texans at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.
September 5, 2025

How Brazil Game Fits Into NFL’s Plans for World Domination

Friday night’s Chiefs-Chargers game in São Paulo is big by design.

American Celebs Want to Be Sports Owners. Soccer Is Where They Start

As U.S. team prices climb, investors set their sights abroad.
June 24, 2025

Timberwolves’ 4-Year Ownership Saga Ends As A-Rod, Lore Take Over

The unanimous approval brought a clean end to a long-disputed transaction.
Apr 26, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Houston Rockets guard Fred VanVleet (5) before game three of first round for the 2024 NBA Playoffs against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center.
June 25, 2025

Rockets Get $20 Million in Wiggle Room From New VanVleet Deal

VanVleet first signed with the Rockets in 2023.
Sponsored

How World Series Champ Dexter Fowler Became a Premier League Team Owner

Dexter Fowler discusses navigating retirement and embracing new roles as an owner & investor.
April 20, 2025

Max Verstappen Linked to $300M Aston Martin Deal Ahead of Miami GP

Aston Martin is currently seventh in the constructors championship.
March 27, 2025

Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions Gets PE Boost

The Hall of Famer’s company gains another prominent backer.
March 20, 2025

High School Sports Power Signs Eight-Figure Rights Deal in First

The deal pays roughly $1 million annually, FOS has learned.
March 20, 2025

Maxx Crosby’s Agent: Edge Rushers Set to Dominate NFL’s Non-QB Market

Maxx Crosby just signed a three-year, $106.5 million extension.