A-B Signs Deal For Bud Light To Be Official Beer Sponsor Of UFC

Bud Light Lands Ring Signage As Part Of Three-Year Deal With UFC

Anheuser-Busch (A-B) has signed a three-year deal with UFC making Bud Light the MMA league's exclusive beer sponsor. Bud Light signage will appear on the ring's center mat and vertical bumpers at each of UFC's 10-plus annual PPV events beginning with UFC 84 on May 24. Bud Light also will be the presenting sponsor of two PPV events a year and the official beer sponsor of four or more UFC Fight Nights. Additionally, Bud Light will be the presenting sponsor of World Extreme Cagefighting starting June 1 (Anheuser-Busch). Both A-B and the UFC declined to disclose the financial terms of the contract. In St. Louis, Jeremiah McWilliams writes for A-B and its Bud Light brand, the deal is a "bid for the attentions of young adult men." UFC President Dana White: "I still don't think we're mainstream, but this is huge -- every year we've taken it to another level." The deal also will give A-B "latitude to launch UFC promotions in bars and retail stores." Activation may include commercials, though no details have been released (ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH, 2/29). White said that A-B will aid in event marketing and that the deal gives UFC "more power in garnering television deals by bringing the major sponsor with them to the table." Bud Light joins Harley Davidson as the company's "major blue-chip sponsors" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 2/28). CNBC's Darren Rovell wrote the deal "is huge." Rovell: "For all that UFC was -- the pay-per-view dollars and the merchandising -- it wasn't for blue chip brands. Well, that's not the case anymore" (CNBC.com, 2/28).

Ponturo Discusses A-B's Deal With UFC During Appearance On CNBC

TAPPING IN: A-B VP/Global Media & Sports Marketing Tony Ponturo appeared on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” Friday to discuss the UFC deal. Ponturo: “As a marketer, you have to observe what your consumer is doing and we’ve been looking at this UFC. ... This sport is growing ... and it’s the second-highest fan interest to the NFL right now so you’ve got to get in.” Ponturo: "You have to give credit to the big sports still -- NFL and (MLB) and NBA and NHL and NASCAR -- but I think you start to put it right behind there and against the 21-27 year-old, it probably starts to fit in right behind the NFL and (MLB)." Ponturo, when asked about the risks involved in sponsoring MMA, said the UFC has had a "great vision of trying to make it a broader audience. They brought in controls ... which still keeps the excitement of the sport, but it makes it sort of reasonable so it doesn’t get out of control, and that made us feel comfortable.” Ponturo, when asked where the dollars are coming from for the sponsorship and whether expenditures on boxing will suffer, said, “It’s really additional dollars. We have lessened our dollars in boxing over the years. It has lost a little bit of its appeal in our opinion, but if you see your consumer gravitating towards new things you find the dollars to do it” (“Squawk Box,” CNBC, 2/29).