Starbucks has entered a partnership with content creator MrBeast for the second season of “Beast Games: Strong vs. Smart,” the competition series set to debut on Amazon Prime Video on January 7, 2026.

According to a press release from the coffee chain, contestants on the show will have complimentary 24/7 access to Starbucks inside Beast City, the living quarters for the 200 participants competing for a $5 million prize. The coffee chain will serve its standard menu of beverages and food throughout the season, with contestants also receiving surprise prizes from Starbucks during the competition.

“When contestants saw Starbucks on set, they said it felt like home – and that’s exactly what we hoped to deliver,” said Tressie Lieberman, Global Chief Brand Officer at Starbucks, in the press release.

Limited-Edition Beverage Launch

Starbucks will introduce the Cannon Ball Drink, a limited-time beverage combining the chain’s Strawberry Açaí and Mango Dragonfruit Refreshers with lemonade and fruit inclusions. The drink was created on the set of season two and will launch in U.S. coffeehouses on January 14.

The beverage will be featured in the “Cannon Ball Challenge” during episode 204, a crossover with CBS’s “Survivor” that airs on January 14, according to the press release. The episode was filmed in Fiji and features “Survivor” host Jeff Probst, according to Prime Video.

“We can’t wait for fans everywhere to taste a little bit of the action with the new Cannon Ball Drink,” said Beau Avril, SVP of Global Media and Partnerships at Beast Industries.

Creator Reach and Audience Demographics

MrBeast, whose real name is Jimmy Donaldson, operates the most-subscribed YouTube channel globally with more than 450 million subscribers and over 1 billion followers across social platforms. The channel generates more than 2 billion monthly views.

Marketing Dive reports that the majority of MrBeast’s audience is under 30 years old, positioning the partnership as an opportunity for Starbucks to reach younger consumers.

Season Two Format and Performance Context

The second season features 200 contestants, divided into 100 selected for physical strength and 100 for cognitive ability, according to Prime Video. This represents a reduction from the 1,000 contestants who participated in season one, which debuted on December 19, 2024.

The first season became Prime Video’s most-watched unscripted series, drawing 50 million viewers within its first 25 days and reaching the number one position in more than 50 countries, according to Prime Video. Amazon renewed the series for two additional seasons in May 2025.

Season two will launch with three episodes on January 7, followed by weekly releases through a February 25 finale.

Starbucks previously appeared in MrBeast’s “30 Days in the Sky” YouTube challenge, released on December 20. A Starbucks barista delivered a contestant’s preferred beverage and offered a chance to win a $50,000 Starbucks gift card.

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