Here’s why I think the new Auston Matthews x PRIME partnership is a massive win for Matthews and PRIME, as well as the Toronto Maple Leafs, and the National Hockey League (NHL):
Auston Matthews: Matthews receives immediate association with a booming creator-led brand. It’s been widely reported that in PRIME’s first year (Jan 2022 to Jan 2023), the brand generated $250M (USD) in revenue, and currently holds about 5% of the sports drink market share.
PRIME’s marketing is headed by creators Logan Paul and KSI, who (by my count) have 155.3M* social media followers cumulatively. Matthews has a current social media following of about 1.1M. By getting exposure through both Paul’s and KSI’s social media accounts, Matthews will likely see a spike in his follower count over time, which he can then leverage for more money through future endorsements.
For example, yesterday’s collaborative Instagram post announcing the launch of the partnership led to Matthews gaining exposure to users following Logan Paul, KSI, and PRIME (27M, 13.3M, and 1.9M, respectively).
PRIME: The brand enters a new sport. Hockey is one of the fastest growing sports in North America (the NHL has seen massive jumps in sponsorship revenue, largely thanks to sports betting partnerships and the relatively new TNT/ESPN broadcasting deal). They also partner with an elite player in Matthews, who certainly has hall of fame potential, and plays on the league’s most valuable team, which extends their reach into the club’s massive fanbase.
Furthermore, the partnership helps PRIME tap into the Canadian market generally, as well as the American youth hockey market, with Matthews being one of the most popular American hockey players. Additionally, PRIME builds brand credibility by adding what is already an impressive portfolio of sports partnerships with individual soccer players and UFC fighters, as well as organizations/teams (UFC, Los Angeles Dodgers, FC Barcelona, Arsenal FC, Bayern Munich).
NHL + Toronto Maple Leafs: Although not directly privy to the partnership, both stakeholders benefit in a secondary sense from the global reach of the PRIME brand. KSI, for example, has a massive following in the United Kingdom, and the NHL has been very vocal about spreading the reach of the game globally. Paul’s massive following in the United States will help spread attention to hockey in the United States, an area that has seen massive growth in hockey in recent years.
Additionally, both Paul and KSI have a large younger following (most of their followers are 24 years and younger), which allows both the NHL and the Toronto Maple Leafs to tap into a younger fanbase just by association of Matthews’ new partnership. The potential to attract new lifelong hockey fans is massive.
#sportsbusiness #sportsbiz #sportslaw
Welcome to the PRIME team Auston Matthews 🏆
Creative and passionate Community Manager and marketing professional in charge of managing and developing community standards.
4moThis is a great! How fantastic to work for such a wonderful company that recognizes hard work and dedication! Keep up the great work and continue being great inspirations to follow community managers!