Bud Light Becomes Official Beer of UFC After Inking Record Sponsorship Deal
Anhesuer-Busch has just inked a massive sponsorship deal with the UFC that makes Bud Light the official beer of the fighting promotion.
ESPN insiders are being told it’s the biggest sponsorship deal in the UFC’s 29 year history.
UFC CEO Dana White said “I’m proud to announce we are back in business together. 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.”
The sponsorship comes as Bud Light volumes were “down 30% year-over-year for the four weeks ending on October 7.”
UFC partners with Bud Light as embattled beer tries to fight off Dylan Mulvaney backlash https://t.co/YFwgEPzPOr pic.twitter.com/RCpUhsgjyU
— New York Post (@nypost) October 24, 2023
Per ESPN:
The UFC has signed a new partnership with Anheuser-Busch that makes Bud Light once again the official beer of the promotion, officials told ESPN on Tuesday. Sources told ESPN that it’s the biggest sponsorship deal in UFC history. Terms were not disclosed.
The multiyear contract, which begins Jan. 1, 2024, comes on the heels of the UFC merging with WWE under parent company Endeavor to form the new publicly traded company TKO last month. UFC and Anheuser-Busch had been partners for many years until 2017, when the UFC signed with Modelo.
“Anheuser-Busch and Bud Light were UFC’s original beer sponsors more than fifteen years ago,” UFC CEO Dana White said in a statement. “I’m proud to announce we are back in business together. 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. I’m looking forward to all of the incredible things we will do in the years ahead.”
White’s statement claiming the UFC has the same values as Bud Light is quite bizarre considering many UFC fighters were very adamant in calling out Bud Light after the beer brand used trans activists Dylan Mulvaney in a marketing campaign.
“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.
– @danawhiteAnother hero bites the dust. pic.twitter.com/FzSxzL2IBl
— Jonathan T Gilliam (@JGilliam_SEAL) October 25, 2023
The majority of UFC fans are not happy with the new brand deal and are calling out Dana White for “selling out.”
The deal was reportedly well over $100 million but the terms of the contract have yet to be released to the public.
#UFC has inked a sponsorship deal with Bud Light worth $100 million dollars, making it the official beer of the fighting promotion.
I spoke to Dana White about it and says even the staunchest conservatives have offered support with one saying “you can’t torture someone…
— Charly Arnolt (@CharlyOnTV) October 24, 2023
