UFC and Bud Light strike a multiyear deal, prompting boycott demands
Effective January 1, 2024, Bud Light will be the official beer partner of UFC. This six-year-long deal doesn't include any financial details.
The announcement of the sponsorship agreement was made on Tuesday by Anheuser-Busch and the UFC, a division of TKO Group Holdings. This news has already caused a storm of criticism.
Bud Light is trying to revive its brand, following the negative publicity it received earlier this year when it aired a commercial featuring TikTok personality Dylan Mulvaney. Bud Light's regular consumers were upset about the brand's partnership with Mulvaney, a transgender woman and activist, during the NCAA Men's College Basketball Tournament.
Conservative groups were at the forefront of the boycott, with celebrities like Kid Rock also joining in. The controversy resulted in significant financial damage for Anheuser-Bush InBev, the European-based parent company of Bud Light.
Bud Light also lost its top spot in the US beer industry. Modelo Especial has now taken the top spot in US beer sales, a position that Bud Light had maintained for 20 years. Modelo became the official beer partner of UFC back in 2017 after Bud Light ended its sponsorship, which began in 2008. UFC's partnership with Modelo ends in 2022, and UFC President Dana White opted to go back with Bud Light after Anheuser-Busch expressed interest.
UFC to The Rescue
The UFC and its events and fights generate substantial betting revenue for sportsbooks all over the country. According to the Nevada Gaming Control Board, mixed martial arts is categorized as "other" along with boxing. The "other" category had almost $52.7 million in wagers for the books in 2021, with the UFC being the dominant force.
The UFC's popularity keeps growing. White, the UFC's president and face, said the decision to partner with Bud Light wasn't all about money.
"They were the first beer company that we did business with," White, a conservative himself and a major backer of former President Donald Trump, said during an interview with Fox News' Sean Hannity. "They were our first real big sponsor when we were getting started, and now we're back with them."
White also mentioned other positive aspects of being associated with Bud Light. "I know all the controversy... but I want to be with somebody that I'm aligned with. They employ 65,000 people. They have thousands of veterans who work for them. They spend $700 million a year with US farmers using their crops to make their products," White added, something that Anheuser-Busch executives would be happy to hear.
Brendan Whitworth, CEO of Anheuser-Busch, added, "As one of the largest and longest standing sports sponsors, we are excited to work with UFC to celebrate our passionate fans while always making a positive impact in communities across America."
Fans React
Many UFC fans took to Twitter to express their displeasure with the league teaming up with Bud Light. Some fans canceled their UFC Fight Pass memberships, while others said they wouldn't be purchasing UFC pay-per-view events anymore.
One fan commented on Twitter, "@danawhite @ufc @budlight Thanks to your new sponsorship, I #CancelFightPass plus I'm going to save $80 a month on PPV. Know your audience."
However, some viewers felt the partnership made sense, at least for Bud Light. "If there's ONE brand that can save Bud Light, it's @ufc," another user tweeted.
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Source: www.casino.org
