• Basketball is the #1 sport that GURU target audience watch, play or follow, the #1 participatory team sport in Canada, and the 2nd fastest growing sport in the world with over 2.4 billion fans
• CEBL viewership growing at a rapid pace, totalling 4.2 million viewers and media reach of 95 million+ in 2022, while recently securing a multi-year partnership with TSN as its official broadcaster
• Sponsorship to run for the entire 2023 CEBL season from May to August, including the CEBL Championship Weekend, where GURU will be the exclusive energy drink partner
  

MONTREAL, May 03, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GURU Organic Energy Corp. (TSX: GURU) (“GURU” or the “Company”), Canada’s leading organic energy drink brand, is pleased to announce it will become the Official Energy Drink Partner of the Canadian Elite Basketball League (CEBL) and the CEBL Championship Weekend for the 2023 season. GURU’s sponsorship includes a comprehensive media plan that comprises of in-arena branding, media and broadcast brand advertising and fun-filled activation opportunities at CEBL arenas in Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Niagara, Brampton, Ottawa and Montreal. GURU will also become the official presenting partner of the CEBL’s Target Score ending. The CEBL is the only FIBA league globally utilizing this rule, ensuring every game ends with the excitement of a made basket.

“We are thrilled to have entered into this exclusive partnership with the CEBL, which represents a great opportunity to showcase the GURU brand across Canada, through the game that is most played or watched by our core target consumers,” said Carl Goyette, President and CEO of GURU. “Our experience last year as a sponsor of the 2022 CEBL Championship Weekend was so overwhelmingly positive that we couldn't pass up the chance to partner with the CEBL for the entire season. In addition to the obvious strategic reasons for this sponsorship, the CEBL shares our values of community involvement, diversity, well-being and respect for the environment, making this partnership a perfect fit all round.”

"As proudly Canadian brands that share similar values in health, lifestyle, community, and inclusion, we are thrilled to be bringing GURU to all our markets across Canada this CEBL season,” said Mike Morreale, Commissioner and Co-Founder of the CEBL. “What started as a very successful 2022 Championship Weekend partnership has now become a year long celebration of all the great things that basketball brings to our shared communities across the country.”

“We are eager to start an exciting new season with the CEBL on May 24 in Ottawa and bring Good Energy to a growing number of Canadians who care about getting their energy from better-for-you products filled with natural, energy boosting and functional ingredients,” added Mr. Goyette.

About the CEBL
A league created by Canadians for Canadians with a mission to develop Canadian players, coaches, sports executives, and referees, the CEBL boasts the highest percentage of Canadian players of any pro league in the country with 71 per cent of its 2022 rosters being Canadian. Players bring experience from the NBA, NBA G League, top international pro leagues, the Canadian National team program, and top NCAA programs as well as U SPORTS. Nine players have moved from the CEBL into the NBA following a CEBL season, and 28 CEBL players attended NBA G League training camps last October. The 2023 CEBL season tips off May 24 with the Brampton Honey Badgers visiting the Ottawa BlackJacks in a game that will be nationally televised on TSN. More information about the CEBL is available at CEBL.ca and @cebleague on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube.

About GURU Products
All GURU energy drinks are plant-based, high in natural caffeine and free of artificial sweeteners, artificial colours and flavours, and have no preservatives. In addition, all drinks are organic, vegan and gluten-free – and the best thing is their amazing taste.

About GURU
GURU Organic Energy Corp. (TSX: GURU) is a dynamic, fast-growing beverage company launched in 1999, when it pioneered the world’s first natural, plant-based energy drink. The Company markets organic energy drinks in Canada and the United States through an estimated distribution network of over 25,000 points of sale, and through guruenergy.com and Amazon. GURU has built an inspiring brand with a clean list of organic plant-based ingredients. Its drinks offer consumers good energy that never comes at the expense of their health. The Company is committed to achieving its mission of cleaning the energy drink industry in Canada and the United States. For more information, go to www.guruenergy.com or follow us @guruenergydrink on Instagram and @guruenergy on Facebook.

For further information, please contact:

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, information with respect to our objectives and the strategies for achieving those objectives, as well as information with respect to our beliefs, plans, expectations, anticipations, estimates and intentions. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by the use of words such as “may”, “would”, “should”, “could”, “expect”, “intend”, “estimate”, “anticipate”, “plan”, “foresee”, “believe”, or “continue”, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. Forward-looking statements are provided for the purposes of assisting the reader in understanding the Company and its business, operations, prospects, and risks at a point in time in the context of historical and possible future developments, and the reader is therefore cautioned that such information may not be appropriate for other purposes. Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control, which could cause actual results to differ materially from those that are disclosed in or implied by such forward-looking statements. Those risks and uncertainties include the following, which are discussed in greater detail under “Risk Factors” in the Company’s Annual Information Form for the year ended October 31, 2021, available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com: management of growth; reliance on key personnel; changes in consumer preferences; significant changes in government regulation; criticism of energy drink products and/or the energy drink market; economic downturn and continued uncertainty in the financial markets and other adverse changes in general economic or political conditions, as well as the COVID-19 pandemic or other major macroeconomic phenomena; global or regional catastrophic events; fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates; net revenues derived entirely from energy drinks; increased competition; relationships with co-packers and distributors and/or their ability to manufacture and/or distribute GURU’s products; relationships with existing customers; changing retail landscape; increases in costs and/or shortages of raw materials and/or ingredients and/or fuel and/or costs of co-packing; failure to accurately estimate demand for its products; history of negative cash flow and no assurance of continued profitability or positive EBITDA; intellectual property rights; maintenance of brand image or product quality; retention of the full-time services of senior management; climate change; litigation; information technology systems; fluctuation of quarterly operating results; risks associated with the PepsiCo distribution agreement; no assurance of continued profitability or positive EBITDA; and conflicts of interest. Certain assumptions were made in preparing the forward-looking statements concerning availability of capital resources, business performance, market conditions and consumer demand. Consequently, all of the forward-looking statements contained herein are qualified by the foregoing cautionary statements, and there can be no guarantee that the results or developments that we anticipate will be realized or, even if substantially realized, that they will have the expected consequences or effects on our business, financial condition, or results of operation. Unless otherwise noted or the context otherwise indicates, the forward-looking statements contained herein are provided as of the date hereof, and we do not undertake to update or amend such forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable law.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/09c2c165-683a-481e-a218-82f5c211d519