After successfully fueling athletes for centuries, milk wants to power a different kind of enthusiast: gamers. Milk will be taking over the gaming world as the presenting sponsor and official drink of gamers at the Panda Cup Finale — an inaugural gaming competition to be held in California in December that features over $100,000 in prizes and the Super Smash Bros. games.
Gaming takes immense skill and focus — requiring hydration and nutrients, including protein, to keep the players going. With 13 essential nutrients in one eight-ounce glass, real dairy milk (or chocolate milk!) helps gamers stay fueled and hydrated to power through long gaming sessions.
“When it comes to competition, dairy milk has been fueling athletes for centuries but we realize that athletic performance extends well beyond the traditional gym or sports field,” says Yin Woon Rani, CEO of MilkPEP. “Gaming requires speed, coordination, and mental acuity — all critical elements of performance. Milk recognizes gamers as the athletes they are and we are thrilled to be partnering with Panda Global and Nintendo’s Super Smash Bros., one of the most popular competitive games among high school and collegiate gamers, to demonstrate how dairy milk’s nutrients can help benefit gaming performance.”
As the official sports drink, MilkPEP (yes, real dairy milk) announced the partnership this month. During the Panda Cup contest, the top players in Super Smash Bros. Melee and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate will compete for spots in the grand finals on December 18 at the Novo Theatre at LA Live. Milk will be there each step of the way with prizes, recovery drinks, and gaming gear — they’ll announce updates as the event nears on their website gonnaneedmilk.com.
“There is nothing like a refreshing, cold glass of milk after an intense game. We couldn’t be more proud to have our official performance drink be one of the most nutritious and wholesome drinks that comes to mind, and as a physician this is a drink for gamers I can really get behind!” said Dr. Alan Bunney, CEO of Panda. “Milk doesn’t just want to be your go-to drink though, they genuinely want to help our community and create positive change in our space through the Panda Cup, which makes us a perfect fit. We can’t wait for people to see what amazing things they can do thanks to milk!”
As it currently stands, 50 percent of Panda Global’s player base is under the age of 24 and, according to NewZoo, 90 percent of Gen Alpha and Gen Z are gaming enthusiasts while 70% of them are turning to games to socialize. This partnership aims to remind teens and tweens of the inherent benefits of dairy milk while simultaneously demonstrating how milk can be a resource for fueling and refueling their active lifestyles — which includes gaming.
