Patrick Mahomes has transformed the quarterback position during his first seven seasons in the NFL. Now the Kansas City Chiefs quarterback wants to do the same in the coffee game.
Mahomes has launched a ready-to-drink iced coffee brand, Throne Sport Coffee—stylized as Throne SPORT COFFEE—with beverage industry veteran Michael Fedele.
Mahomes, one of the most marketable players in the NFL, has had countless opportunities come his way, but this is the first time he has served as the lead investor in a business. His ownership stake sits behind only that of Fedele as founder.
Mahomes called it a “no-brainer” to get involved when Fedele came to him with his plan for a coffee with B vitamins, electrolytes, amino acids and natural caffeine. “I’m always looking at getting my body to be in the best shape possible,” Mahomes said in a video interview.
Throne launched Thursday in convenience stores, at Amazon and at sportcoffee.com. It is initially available in 20 states and at more than 3,000 retail locations, primarily Casey’s and Hy-Vee spots. The brand includes 11-ounce cold brew cans of black coffee, and three flavored versions: mocha java, salted caramel and French vanilla. Cans retail for $3.49 at grocery stores or $3.99 at convenience stores.
Fedele spent three years at Coca-Cola before he joined BodyArmor in 2012 and led marketing. The brand was fully acquired by Coca-Cola in November 2022 at a roughly $8 billion valuation.
Fedele says he saw a hole in the market during his 15 years around athletes and active adults as it related to coffee and how these people got their caffeine. A plain cup of brewed black coffee offers caffeine and not much else, while in-store single-serve caffeinated products are often high in sugar and calories, due to the additives.
“Why should athletes or active adults have to choose these products if they just want to get a jolt to help them get going during the day or go to the gym or get ready for a game or practice,” Fedele said. “There should be a better-for-you option.”
Fedele started working on the plan in early 2023 and connected with Mahomes, who says he typically drinks four cups of coffee a day during the season. They worked on formulas that provided the optimal levels of caffeine. “You want to be locked in and be the best you can be, but you don’t want to have those jitters,” Mahomes said.
Fedele would not reveal the rest of the company’s cap table but says other investors include a “host of beverage industry veterans, sports business execs and pro athletes.”
And while the beverage and coffee category is extremely competitive, Fedele thinks they have created a genuinely differentiated product.
Mahomes previously invested in several pro sports teams, including small stakes in MLB’s Kansas City Royals, MLS’ Sporting Kansas City, NWSL’s Kansas City Current and F1’s Alpine.
The Chiefs, who repeated as Super Bowl champions in February, will reconvene next week when the club’s organized team activities (OTAs) kick off. During the offseason, the club made coach Andy Reid the highest-paid coach in U.S. sports, re-signed Chris Jones to the richest deal ever for a defensive tackle, and drafted the fastest player in the 2024 NFL Draft. These transactions have Mahomes energized for the 2024 season, as he attempts to lead the Chiefs to the NFL’s first Super Bowl three-peat.
“I think whenever you’re going for something that can be truly iconic or be like a true legacy builder … it gives you even another sense of urgency,” Mahomes said. “And so every single day I’m going to practice I’m trying to push these guys.”
