Anheuser-Busch and the 토토사이트, a division of TKO Group Holdings, announced the sponsorship agreement on Tuesday. The news is already generating a flurry of pushback.
Bud Light is trying to revitalize its brand after it faced a mountain of criticism from drinkers earlier this year when the beer debuted a marketing spot with TikTok personality Dylan Mulvaney. Bud Light’s loyal drinkers scolded the brand for partnering with Mulvaney, a transgender woman and activist, during the March Madness men’s college basketball tournament.
Conservatives led the revolt, with celebrities like Kid Rock also getting in on the Bud Light boycott. The controversy cost Anheuser-Bush InBev, the Belgian-based multination drink and brewing giant, many billions of dollars in lost sales and market capitalization.
Bud Light also lost its stronghold on the US beer industry, with Modelo Especial now holding the status as the top-selling beer in the US. Bud Light had held that honor for 20 years.
Modelo became the Official Beer Partner of the UFC in 2017 after Bud Light ended its sponsorship that began in 2008. Modelo’s deal terminates at the end of 2022, and UFC President Dana White decided to renew the UFC’s pact with Bud Light after Anheuser-Busch expressed interest.
