• Loading stock data...
Monday, June 30, 2025

Nutrition Extends Past Traditional Sports With Ghost’s Esports Deal

  • Ghost is eschewing traditional sports partnerships to reach the everyday consumer in a more accessible way, like video games.
  • By pushing flavor partnerships with companies like Nabisco, Ghost looks to hit a high note with a younger demographic.
Ghost Gamer
Ghost

With nutrition brands seemingly a dime-a-dozen, most are targeting conventional athletes in their marketing efforts.

But the nutrition and supplement brand Ghost is working a different angle: esports. Ghost recently entered a two-year partnership with the esports organization XSET to be its exclusive partner for protein, gaming and performance supplements, and ready-to-drink beverages.

“We’ve been looking to make an authentic entrance into the gaming space, but nothing had really clicked for us,” said Ryan Hughes, Ghost co-founder and chief marketing officer. “We’re lifelong gamers, and we built Ghost as a thing we love and use and want to connect people all over the world whether they’re playing Call of Duty or in the gym.”

“Watching the gaming space, there’s a functional intersection but you see a lot of brands inauthentically trying to enter the space,” he added. “If you don’t have experience blowing into a cartridge, how can you authentically enter it?”

Esports athletes have long fought for the same consideration as traditional stick and ball athletes, but support only continues to grow. Former San Antonio Spurs player and four-time NBA champion Tony Parker recently spoke to FOS about his belief the two are similar in mental and physical strain. 

Aside from the physical exertion from esports, which can bring heart rate up to 180 beats per minute, there’s also the mental and eye strain from concentration and screen exposure. Top esports organizations have their athletes train at least eight hours a day, both with their games but also in the gym. 

“When you think about cognitive performance — memory, attention to detail, recall, those are things that are important in traditional or esports,” XSET co-founder Clinton Sparks said. “So all the things that are important to traditional athletes are important to esports athletes. They need protein, greens, vitamins to help boost their performance.”

Despite the strain professionals can endure, esports still offer a common denominator the average nutrition customer can relate to, Ghost Chief Executive Officer Daniel Lourenco said. Ghost doesn’t work with professional athletes at the moment, but has several deals with content creators and streamers beyond XSET.

“We’ve done deals with active lifestyle people because it’s so relatable, and why we steered away from professional athletes, because the access isn’t there and isn’t relatable,” Lourenco said. “I can’t kick like Ronaldo. But I can pick up a controller and kick like Ronaldo. Everyone from all walks of life are playing more games than ever.”

LCS

Esports Leagues See Increased Interest From Partners During Pandemic

The start of the NBA 2K League’s 2020 season came to a…
June 25, 2020

The company is also pushing the flavor expectations of supplements and targeting a younger demographic that gravitates toward esports. Ghost has official partnerships with companies like Nabisco for Chips Ahoy! and Nutter Butter flavored protein powder and Sour Patch Kids, Sonic Drive-In, Warheads, Swedish Fish and Welch’s for its other supplements like pre-workout and Gamer — which is meant to provide energy and concentration benefits.

Esports organizations and streamers aren’t a wholly new idea for nutritional companies to target as energy drinks have been a staple in the industry. Along with Celsius’ targeting of traditional athletes, the brand has looked into deals in the esports space, Celsius CEO John Fieldly said.

“It’s the new frontier and the new modern athlete,” Fieldly said. “This is primetime competitive sports, just like football, basketball or baseball. Nutrition is key and they can’t be tired and have to be in the best physical shape.”

Earlier this year, when NASCAR went from races on the pavement to iRacing, Celsius sponsored driver Michael McDowell. Fieldly said the brand is always evaluating opportunities, but as a young, growing brand a lot of team deals are prohibitively expensive.

Ghost appears to be committed to adhering to an accessible marketing strategy using authentic relationships with influencers to reach consumers. For now, XSET will be the esports organization the company will focus on, but Hughes didn’t rule out future partnerships.

“We’re really excited about this deal with XSET and the door isn’t closed on other partnerships, but we want to leverage this to the max and build a historic, and hopefully marquee, partnership,” Hughes said. “We’re two brands that want to compete at a high level and be really focused on and committed to our story.”

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

The Battle Over Wimbledon’s Ambitious Expansion Plan

A classic NIMBY standoff on one of the most hallowed grounds in sports.
Seattle Rough & Tumble

Women’s Sports Bars Are on the Rise. Survival Isn’t Guaranteed

Some women’s sports bars are cashing in. Others are clawing for funding.

Shitposters Have Taken the Reins of Pro Sports’ Official Voices

Meet the social media pros turning sports teams into internet trolls.
Jun 17, 2025; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers center Sam Reinhart (13) hoists the Stanley Cup after winning game six of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final against the Edmonton Oilers at Amerant Bank Arena

Stanley Cup’s International Summer Tour: Rules, Repairs, and Raucousness

No pro trophy tour compares to the NHL’s three-month global victory lap.

Featured Today

Mar 15, 2025; Fort Worth, TX, USA; UAB Blazers forward Yaxel Lendeborg (3) dribbles the ball upcourt against the North Texas Mean Green during the first half at Dickies Arena

NIL Is Shrinking the Pool of NBA Draft Entrants

Agents are now advising many players to stay in school.
Apr 24, 2025; Green Bay, WI, USA; Penn State Nittany Lions defensive end Abdul Carter on the red carpet before the 2025 NFL Draft at Lambeau Field
June 21, 2025

‘More Is More’: The Elite Luxury Jewelers Decking Out Athletes

Meet the elite group of luxury designers crafting the biggest statement pieces.
Dec 5, 2024; Miami, FL, USA; FIFA president Gianni Infantino presents the FIFA Club World Cup trophy during the Club Word Cup draw at Telemundo Studios.
June 15, 2025

Revamped Club World Cup Is FIFA’s Billion-Dollar Gamble

The revamped soccer event debuts amid controversy.
Jun 10, 2025; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; United States head coach Mauricio Pochettino stands during the anthem against the Switzerland during the first at Geodis Park
June 14, 2025

Gold Cup Is Complicated for USMNT—but U.S. Soccer Has Its Eyes on..

Uncertain tournament success isn’t fazing forward-looking U.S. soccer.

Thunder Favored, but Bettors Backing Pacers Big in NBA Finals

The most bet-on exact series outcome is the Thunder winning in five.
Fanduel
March 4, 2025

FanDuel Retains Sports Betting Crown With $14B in 2024 Revenue

The FanDuel parent company posts big increases in revenue and net income.
May 8, 2025

FanDuel Misses Projections As Betting Favorites Dominate 

FanDuel is hit by customer-friendly betting outcomes during March Madness.
Sponsored

Hottest Matchups Following NFL Schedule Release

The NFL released the 2025 regular-season schedule, and anticipation is already building in the ticket marketplace with four months to go.
February 20, 2025

Americans Bet $148 Billion on Sports in 2024, Up 23.6%

Both overall handle and revenue rose by more than 20% last year.
DraftKings app
February 14, 2025

Lawsuit Says DraftKings VIP Program ‘Preyed On’ Gambling Addicts

The company’s being sued for negligence and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
August 20, 2024

Beloved ‘Backyard Sports’ Brand Says It Will Relaunch After Decade Hiatus

“Backyard Baseball” was a turn-of-the-century computer hit. 
DraftKings
August 2, 2024

DraftKings Announces Consumer Tax Starting Next Year

The company’s stock fell 5% Friday morning.