Sales Of Logan Paul's Prime Beverage Appear To Be Plummeting

There was a time, not all that long ago, when Logan Paul was just like any other midwestern kid. Armed with a camera and a wild sense of humor, Logan and his younger brother Jake Paul rose to fame on Vine, the now-defunct six-second video platform. On Vine, Logan in particular built a massive audience with slapstick sketches and over-the-top antics. When Vine shut down, both Paul brothers successfully migrated to YouTube, where their subscriber bases ballooned into the tens of millions. Along the way, they made headlines for controversial stunts, high-profile feuds, and a polarizing but effective ability to stay in the public eye.

One of Logan's most notable rivalries came with fellow YouTuber and UK-based content creator KSI, real name Olajide Olatunji.

What began as online trash talk eventually morphed into two actual boxing matches — amateur bouts that packed arenas and sold hundreds of thousands of pay-per-view streams. The drama was real, the marketing was savvy, and the spectacle helped catapult both men beyond internet fame and into mainstream pop culture. But while fans were still arguing over who won in the ring, Logan Paul and KSI were quietly working on a much bigger hustle behind the scenes.

In what turned out to be a genuinely brilliant business move, the former rivals teamed up to launch a beverage company: Prime Hydration.

Debuting in early 2022, the brand positioned itself as a sports drink alternative, somewhere between Gatorade and an energy shot.

As a crusty old 40-something cynical internet writer, I'll admit that was extremely skeptical that Prime would become anything other than a flash-in-the-pan. I was wrong. Prime immediately exploded in popularity. Prime didn't just sell — it went viral. Cases flew off store shelves, resale markets popped up among school kids, and social media turned every flavor drop into an event.

By 2023, Prime had reportedly surpassed $1.2 billion in global revenue, an absurd figure for a beverage company not backed by a legacy food conglomerate.

However.

As a crusty old 40-something cynical internet writer, I'll admit that I was somewhat happy to see a recent report claiming that Prime's sales — particularly in the UK and U.S. — have PLUMMETED.

(Photo by Ben Roberts Photo/Getty Images)

UK Revenue Crashes Over 70%

According to recent financial filings dug up by The Times, Prime's UK subsidiary reportedly saw its revenue plunge from £112 million in 2023 to just £33 million in 2024 — a drop of over 70% The company's profits reportedly dropped even harder, falling 92% to a modest £312,000.

In the same filings, Prime acknowledged that the brand's "hyper-growth phase" was over. It announced plans for a "strategic review process" with the goal of evolving into a "more sustainable, long-term presence" in the market. In other words, the viral joyride is over. Now comes the hard part: actually becoming a stable business.

Prime cited increasing competition, raw material inflation, shifting consumer trends, and regulatory scrutiny as key challenges.

U.S. Sales Sputter Too

Across the pond, things aren't looking much better. Market research firm Numerator reported vis Business Insider that U.S. sales of Prime declined 40% during the first half of 2024. That drop was sharper than the average decline in the broader sports and energy drink categories. The report blamed the decline on a combination of factors: a lack of new customers, reduced purchase frequency, and lower spending per unit from existing buyers.

In short, the kids may have stopped caring.

Lawsuits and Vendor Disputes

As if falling sales weren't enough, Prime is also facing legal troubles from its suppliers. In 2024, beverage bottler Refresco sued Prime's parent company for $68 million, alleging breach of contract. Refresco claimed Prime had committed to ordering 18.5 million cases per year and fell "well below" those volumes. The suit blamed "fading social media buzz" and mounting lawsuits for the decline. The case was dismissed on jurisdictional grounds, but the public filing laid bare the business pressure Prime is under.

A second lawsuit, filed by ingredient supplier Agrovana, accused Prime of failing to pay for products it had contractually ordered. Agrovana's filing described the company as having "cash-flow issues" and noted that Prime was trying to secure credit to pay its bills. Prime denied the claims and filed a counterclaim, asserting Agrovana failed to meet quality standards. That case remains ongoing.

The Future of Prime

When Prime launched, it looked like a masterclass in influencer branding — a collision of hype, timing, and audience engagement that built a billion-dollar company almost overnight. But sustaining that kind of buzz is notoriously difficult. Influencer-led brands often burn hot and fast. Ask anyone who invested in Something Navy or Feastables or any number of viral product lines that struggled to survive once the online frenzy wore off.

The question now is whether Prime has enough substance — as a beverage and a brand — to stick around without the constant booster shot of viral marketing.