Multiple beverage industry trade outlets reported last week that Xyience had been sold to Big Red, Inc. of Austin, Texas. As a part of the transaction, the Xyience brand will no longer be an official sponsor of the UFC.
MMA Payout has confirmed the sale from two independent sources.
Xyience was established in 2004 in Las Vegas and had become one of the more visible brands within the UFC. It also sponsored various UFC fighters, notably Ronda Rousey.
Big Red, Inc. is one of the top 10 beverage companies in North America dating back to 1937. It will look to expand the Xyience demo by targeting other sports including Crossfit, Color Run participants and marathoners according to an interview Big Red CEO Gary Smith did with Bevnet.com.
Payout Perspective:
The acquisition is a blow for the UFC as it will seek to replace Xyience with another “official energy drink sponsor.” We will see how the UFC will do and how soon it can find a replacement. It is interesting to note that Big Red apparently will continue to seek out the sports demo but will not continue the sponsorship with the UFC.
Although this went under the radar, this summer it signed Matefit Herbal Tea as its “official herbal tea partner.” The partnership is only for one year and at this point has far less brand recognition.
MMA Payout will keep you posted on this story as it continues.
Duncan says
Wasn’t Xyience majority owned by the Zuffa? Hard to conclude that losing them as a sponsor is a blow if so. Since Xyience has never been a huge hit, I’d imagine that it’s probably likely they got a sweetheart deal to get their logo on the ring as a Zuffa property. This may free up those spaces for actual sponsorships now.
Greg Nutsak says
PED Cola is definitely the natural sponsor for the UFC
dave says
I thought the UFC owned Xyeince?
D says
Nutsack and Duncan= Tops, who ironic dunks his nutsack into his own mouth on a daily basis.
Rich Bergeron says
The UFC does not own Xyience, per se. The Fertitta brothers (Lorenzo and Frank III), own Xyience through Fertitta Enterprises. They also happen to be majority owners of the UFC. When they bought into Xyience before bankruptcy, pretending to be the company’s rescuer, they created a false bidding war for the middle of the mat space usually occupied by Xyience. Harley Davidson got it first, then Bud Light. When the UFC is in Brazil, it’s TNT Energy Drink. Now that Xenergy is no longer the official energy drink, there’s NOS (already sponsoring TUF) and Strikeforce’s old standby Monster that make the most sense to step in to fill the void. Not sure where the author of this piece thinks Matefit has anything to do with the energy drink market. It’s tea. Whoever fills the Xyience space on the mat and the ring apron will likely pay way more than Xyience (AKA the Fertittas) paid for the same sponsor package.
Saldathief says
Sounds like a typical paper shuffle a la Zuffa, just another smoke and mirror game.
tops E says
D is fuming mad….il post more computations on salaries( i knew ufc was paying very low but now its lower than expected hahaha) for people to see the ufc bubble hahahaha
tops E says
If its true fertitas own xyience….than theyr looking for cash to pay the loan hahahaha
D says
Tops is gay and incoherent. I can’t think of anyone more mad than a guy who dedicates his life to trolling.
D says
More SalDaQueef bullshit.
Saldathief says
D cant handle any truths, only lies and bullshit bahahaha he fits right in to the ufc fart box of deception bahahahaha fucking loooooser
not tops says
xyience dirty past
http://www.cagepotato.com/ufcxyience-case-gets-dirtier-zuffa-sues-former-pride-owners/
D says
Sal can’t accept the fact that he is a gay minion of Dirty Bob Arum. Arum hates the fact that the UFC stole the market share away from boxing. So he just spews his gay idiotic bullshit on an mma website. What a homo!
Tribute says
Come on Jason, I expect a lot better from this site. We’re you really not aware of the Xyience/Fertitta connection?! Hardly a blow to the UFC.