Posted in: Nerd Food, Pop Culture | Tagged: Pepsi, The Pepsi Challenge

Pepsi Has Expanded The Pepsi Challenge Into 2026

The Pepsi Challenge is going back out on the road in 2026 after the company claims Pepsi Zero Sugar heavily won out in its own competition

Published Wed, 03 Dec 2025 09:02:03 -0600

by Gavin Sheehan

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Article Summary

Pepsi has announced the extension of The Pepsi Challenge into 2026 after claiming major taste test wins.
Pepsi Zero Sugar outperformed Coke Zero Sugar, winning over 60% of blind taste tests across the US.
Over one million samples were given out during tours in 34 markets, fueling huge sales and market growth.
The 2026 Pepsi Challenge will expand with new tour stops and cherry flavor showdowns against Coke.

PepsiCo announced this morning that it is extending The Pepsi Challenge into 2026, as it claims Pepsi Zero Sugar defeated Coke Zero. The team dropped a ton of new info about the results of the Taste Tour '25 in which they claim their own soda won out against their competition. Is it a promotional thing? Absolutely! There's no question about it, and we'd be fooling ourselves to think otherwise. That said, its a fun one, and it looks like they'll be testing the Cherry flavors against each othere when they eventually announce new dates.

Pepsi Has Brought Back The Iconic Pepsi Challenge — Credit: PepsiCo

The Pepsi Challenge Expands Into 2026

Now, with growing consumer demand for great-tasting zero-sugar cola and definitive proof of Pepsi Zero Sugar's taste advantage in blind taste tests over Coke Zero Sugar, Pepsi set out to prove once again that its cola reigns supreme. The relaunch of The Pepsi Challenge saw Pepsi Zero Sugar dominate Coke Zero Sugar in taste, reinforcing it as the unequivocally preferred choice among zero-sugar drinkers across the country. This year, The Pepsi Challenge invited over one million consumers nationwide to "sip, taste, and choose." Subsequent market performance solidified Pepsi Zero Sugar as the best zero-sugar cola in 2025 and the undefeated challenger in the zero-calorie category:

Taste Victory Confirmed: Pepsi Zero Sugar won 100% of The Pepsi Challenge national tour markets (including Coke's backyard – Atlanta!), achieving a consumer preference rate exceeding 60% across the US.
Consumer Impact: Over one million samples distributed across 34 markets, including major cultural events spanning sports, racing, food, and experiential engagements in 23 states plus Washington, DC – bringing the best-tasting zero-sugar cola experience directly to fans nationwide.
Accelerated Sales: The brand has achieved up over 30.8% Year-to-Date (YTD) sales growth in 2025.
Outpacing Competition: Pepsi Zero Sugar has nearly doubled the growth of the Zero Sugar Cola category YTD.
Market Share Gain: Pepsi Zero Sugar expanded its reach to more than one million additional households compared to last year, demonstrating significant growth in household penetration.

Building on this year's success, Pepsi will expand The Pepsi Challenge in 2026 with additional tour stops, more opportunities for consumers to taste for themselves, and new flavor experiences. Pepsi Wild Cherry Zero Sugar will join select stops, inviting fans to compare it directly with Coke Cherry Zero Sugar and further demonstrate Pepsi's taste superiority.

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