- March 21st, 2011
Anheuser-Busch, Soccer United Marketing renew sponsorship agreement
NEW YORK (March 21, 2011) – Anheuser-Busch and Soccer United Marketing (SUM) today announced a multi-year renewal of Budweiser and Budweiser Chelada’s official beer co-sponsorship of Major League Soccer (MLS), Budweiser’s sponsorship of the U.S. Men’s National Team and Bud Light’s sponsorship of the U.S. Women’s National Team. The sponsorship also renews Bud Light’s sponsorship of the Federación Mexicana de Fútbol (FMF), including the Mexican National Team in the United States.
Per the multi-year MLS agreement, Budweiser and Budweiser Chelada will continue to have logo rights for advertising and promotions, and co-branded promotional merchandise. Both brands will also retain on-field signage placements during all nationally televised games, the AT&T MLS All-Star Game and MLS Cup. Budweiser will receive entitlement of MLS’ Golden Boot Award – given annually to the league’s top scorer – and Budweiser Chelada will continue leveraging MLS games as sampling opportunities.
The sponsorship renewal with SUM will also provide Anheuser-Busch’s biggest brands – Budweiser and Bud Light – a global platform to support the sport. Budweiser and Bud Light’s respective sponsorships of the U.S. Men’s and Women’s National Teams grant the beers global sponsorship rights, including the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup™, the 2012 Olympic teams and the 2014 FIFA World Cup™ team. In addition to logo rights for point-of-sale materials, advertising and promotions, Budweiser and Bud Light will receive entitlement to the Man of the Match award. Bud Light’s sponsorship renewal of the Mexican National Team allows the brand to continue supporting the team in the U.S., including logo rights for packaging and advertising, on-site activations during friendly matches in the U.S., and on-field signage during nationally televised U.S. broadcasts.
“Anheuser-Busch has a rich history in soccer, and we’re thrilled to continue our role as an ambassador of the sport through SUM’s top properties,” said Mark Wright, vice president of media, sports & entertainment marketing, Anheuser-Busch, Inc. “Not only do we have a chance to grow the sport nationally through our sponsorships of Major League Soccer and the Mexican National Team’s in the U.S., but Budweiser and Bud Light’s sponsorship of the U.S. national teams allows us to reach soccer fans on a truly global level.”
“SUM is excited to announce our renewal with Anheuser-Busch, one of the most visible and committed corporate partners of soccer in the United States,” said Kathy Carter, president of Soccer United Marketing. “A long-standing relationship exists between Anheuser-Busch and all three of these properties: MLS, U.S. Soccer and the FMF. There is no question that Anheuser-Busch has been integral to the growth of Major League Soccer, a League that Anheuser-Busch believed in even before the first MLS ball was kicked in 1996.”
About Anheuser-Busch
Based in St. Louis, Anheuser-Busch is the leading American brewer, holding a 48.9 percent share of U.S. beer sales to retailers. The company brews the world’s largest-selling beers, Budweiser and Bud Light. Anheuser-Busch also owns a 50 percent share in Grupo Modelo, Mexico’s leading brewer. Anheuser-Busch is a major manufacturer of aluminum cans and has been a leading aluminum recycler for more than 30 years. The company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch InBev, the leading global brewer, and continues to operate under the Anheuser-Busch name and logo. For more information, visit www.anheuser-busch.com.
About Soccer United Marketing
Founded in 2002, Soccer United Marketing (SUM) is the preeminent soccer business company in North America. SUM holds the exclusive rights to the most important soccer properties in the region, including: all commercial rights to Major League Soccer; the United States Soccer Federation; promotional and marketing rights to Mexican National Team games played in the United States; and the marketing and promotion of the CONCACAF Gold Cup™. Since 2008 SUM oversees a long-term partnership with La Liga’s historic club FC Barcelona, which includes tours of the legendary Spanish club. SUM also manages promotional and marketing rights in the United States for Mexico’s most popular sports team, Club Deportivo Guadalajara (Chivas).
In addition, SUM created SuperLiga and the Pan-Pacific Championship, international soccer tournaments featuring top clubs from MLS, Mexico and Asia. Since early 2009, SUM established MLS Digital Properties, formerly known as the SUM Digital Network, the only soccer advertising network of its kind, covering all facets of the sport in the U.S., which allows advertisers to reach millions of soccer fans via online advertising and sponsorship campaigns. These global properties are represented by SUM’s slogan: One Sport. One Company™. For more information, please visit www.SUMworld.com.