The WWE ring usually isn’t used for sponsorships, but that’s going to change. Beginning at Wrestlemania, the ring’s canvas will be used as a spot for advertising.
United States Champion Logan Paul announced Friday that Prime Energy — the drink brand that he co-founded alongside entertainer KSI — will be a canvas sponsor for WWE’s Premium Live Events going forward.
Paul unveiled the new sponsorship on Friday during the latest episode of Smackdown. An illustration of a Prime Energy bottle was then shown in the middle of the ring, depicting what things would look like once the sponsorship came into effect.
WWE has never been a promotion that plastered sponsors in the ring. However, if you have been following comments from higher-ups in the company, the move looked inevitable. TKO President Mark Shapiro recently commented on their intention to add sponsorships to WWE rings, much like UFC does.
“I’m not criticizing Vince McMahon,” he said, talking about how WWE handled sponsorship opportunities in the past. “The WWE didn’t activate and didn’t do a lot of branding inside the arena. In fact, the canvas was blank … And so, we’re going to go to town on sponsorships.”
