Lucozade ends Premier League deal to focus on science

GlaxoSmithKline-owned Lucozade Sport has been the official drink of the Premier League since 1992 - the only brand to have sponsored the League since its inception in February of that year.

It is now looking to move the funds into research and development of sports-nutrition products, to keep ahead of competitors such as PepsiCo's Gatorade and Coca-Cola-owned Powerade.

A three-year deal between the Premier League and Lucozade was due to end next summer, and the brand has told the League it does not wish to continue its sponsorship.

In August, Lucozade celebrated the long-running partnership with the Premier League by introducing two new drinks to be used by elite football squads. The brand continues to be a partner of The Football Association, having signed a four-year extension to the deal last year.

GSK general manager Peter Harding said the Lucozade brand had a 'long history' in scientific research, demonstrating the benefits of carbohydrate energy and hydration on athletic performance. The company wanted to 'take this further', he added.

'We are shifting our strategic focus and will be increasing our investment and research into the impact of nutrition on performance,' said Harding. 'This will enable us to develop more-advanced products.'

Lucozade sponsors sports stars such as distance runner and Olympic gold medallist Mo Farah and Manchester United footballer Ashley Young, who appeared in a TV ad for the brand prior to this summer's Euro 2012 competition in Poland and Ukraine.

This article was first published on marketingmagazine.co.uk