Press Release:
(BELGIUM) – Anheuser-Busch InBev (Euronext: ABI; NYSE: BUD) is pleased to announce the extension of its Official Beer sponsorship for the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia™ and the 2022 FIFA World Cup Qatar™. This agreement, which builds further on the existing 25 year-old partnership with the FIFA World Cup™, will ensure that Budweiser will serve as the Official Beer of the FIFA World Cup™ for the ninth and tenth time, in 2018 and 2022 respectively.
The sponsorship agreement means that Anheuser-Busch InBev has global sponsorship rights for all editions of the FIFA World Cup™ and the FIFA Confederations Cup™ up to and including the 2022 edition of the tournament.
“We are delighted to be strengthening our relationship with Anheuser-Busch InBev even further” said FIFA Secretary General Jérôme Valcke. “Ever since joining the FIFA sponsorship family for the 1986 FIFA World Cup™ Budweiser has played a vital role in helping to develop our flagship event, effectively supporting us in bringing the event closer to fans all over the world.”
Mr. Valcke’s sentiments were echoed by Anheuser-Busch InBev’s Chief Marketing Officer, Chris Burggraeve, who commented, “We’re very pleased to extend our long-standing partnership with the FIFA World Cup™. Football and sports in general are a key global consumption and celebration moment and the FIFA World Cup™ offers a strong and relevant global platform from which we can connect with passionate football fans around the world. We’re looking forward to the opportunities presented as the FIFA World Cup™ tournament brings the excitement of the beautiful game to new and different places around the world, and to connecting Budweiser with even more consumers globally”.
For both the 2018 and 2022 editions of the FIFA World Cup™ Budweiser will serve as the “Official Beer” of the FIFA World Cup™, whilst Anheuser-Busch InBev will also have the opportunity to leverage its portfolio of beers by extending local sponsorship rights to its leading brands in selected football markets, including, but not limited to Brahma (Brazil), Hasseröder (Germany), Jupiler (Belgium and the Netherlands), Quilmes (Argentina) and Harbin (China), as it did during the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™.
In 2010, the newly combined Anheuser-Busch InBev used the opportunity of the FIFA World Cup South Africa™ to bring its global flagship brand Budweiser to a global audience like never before. Budweiser, the world’s most valuable beer brand1, also grew volumes globally in 20102. It was launched in Russia in anticipation of the excitement surrounding the 2010 FIFA World Cup™, and was introduced earlier this year in Brazil, host of the FIFA World Cup 2014™, where preparations for the tournament have already begun.