Bud Light becomes the official beer of UFC as Anheuser-Busch looks to recoup revenue drop
Bud Light and the UFC are reuniting as the beermaker continues to pour dollars into marketing after its partnership with a trans influencer sparked a sharp sales decline earlier this year.
The two companies announced Tuesday the Anheuser-Busch beer is becoming the official sponsor of UFC in a new, multiyear marketing partnership that goes into effect Jan. 1, 2024. Bud Light will become the "official beer partner" of the UFC in the deal.
According to a news release, Anheuser-Busch will receive "a deep level of integration into key UFC assets, ranging from live events, including broadcast features and in-arena promotion, to original content distributed through UFC's popular digital and social channels."
Bud Light will also receive "prominent branding" at every UFC event and will be integrated into custom broadcast features in all U.S. pay-per-views, per the release.
“Anheuser-Busch and Bud Light were UFC’s original beer sponsors more than fifteen years ago. I’m proud to announce we are back in business together," said UFC CEO Dana White in the release.
"There are many reasons why I chose to go with Anheuser-Busch and Bud Light, most importantly because I feel we are very aligned when it comes to our core values and what the UFC brand stands for,” White added. "I’m looking forward to all of the incredible things we will do in the years ahead."
Bud Light turns to UFC, NFL after revenue drop
The partnership is the latest move by Anheuser-Busch to overcome a conservative boycott that ensued after a March Madness promotion featuring trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney. The promotion included Mulvaney posting a video on Instagram showing a Bud Light can with her likeness and sipping a beer.
Bud Light:Beermaker goes on offense with NFL campaign, hopes to overcome boycott, stock dip
After the boycott, Bud Light lost its spot as the top-selling U.S. beer and laid off hundreds of employees.
Anheuser-Busch InBev revenue in North America fell by 10.5% (volume fell 14%) during the second quarter. The company's stock was down 16% from $66.57 on April 3, two days after Mulvaney's Instagram post and the day Kid Rock posted a video of himself shooting cases of Bud Light.
The beer company in August launched what it called its biggest NFL campaign ever. The promotion, called "Easy to Sunday," included new TV and online advertisements set to run during the season, and limited-edition cans for 23 NFL teams with team colors, logos and a player illustration.
Contributing: Mike Snider, USA TODAY