Dr Pepper Snapple has acquired an 11.7% stake in BA Sports Nutrition, the brand owner of the BodyArmor SuperDrink line of premium sports drinks, in return for an investment worth $20m.
Dr Pepper Snapple has listed BodyArmor as an allied brand in much of its direct store delivery network since 2013 and plans to expand the product line further in its system over the next year, the company said in a statement.
BodyArmor had previously secured investment from professional basketball player Kobe Bryant, after launching in 2012. The drink is made with potassium-packed electrolytes, coconut water and vitamins, and is sweetened with pure cane sugar. It contains no artificial colours or flavours and is available in a range of seven different flavours, including lemon lime, orange mango and tropical punch.
Texas-headquartered Dr Pepper Snapple has worked with BodyArmor co-founder Mike Repole before, growing the brand through its legacy bottling and distribution system between 2000 and 2007, when it was acquired by Coca-Cola in a $4.1bn deal.
Dr Pepper Snapple’s president of packaged beverages, Rodger Collins, said: “We’ve been pleased with BodyArmor’s growth over the past two years and believe it has strong potential as a premium sports drink. It’s already a great part of our allied brand portfolio, it has a management team with the experience and passion to succeed, and we’re looking forward to contributing to that growth and success over the long term.”
BodyArmor co-founder and chairman Mike Repole added: “We are very excited about the investment by Dr Pepper Snapple Group. Through our partnership with Dr Pepper Snapple, we are continuing to gain distribution throughout the United States, and we are on our way to becoming a national brand. BodyArmor has tremendous momentum, and the strength of the Dr Pepper Snapple organisation and its system will continue to fuel our amazing growth for years to come.”
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