The Overwatch League has signed A-B InBev as a sponsor for the rest of the '19 season, making Bud Light the official beer of the esports league everywhere except China. The deal includes live activation at four key events and sponsored broadcasts on ABC/ESPN2 in the coming months, beginning Saturday at the newly named Bud Light Homestand Weekend--Dallas. The two-day, eight-team event, hosted by the Dallas Fuel at the Allen Event Center, marks the OWL’s first games outside L.A.’s Blizzard Arena as the league prepares to shift to a full home-and-away schedule in '20. Bud Light also will entitle a similar event in Atlanta in July and will activate at two other major OWL events: L.A. Rivalry Weekend in August and the '19 Grand Finals, which is yet to have a date and location announced. Bud Light will be present at local watch parties in other OWL markets. It will also sponsor an ESPN2 broadcast of the action from 8:00-10:00pm ET on Saturday, along with an ABC broadcast on July 6 and ESPN2 broadcast on July 7 from Atlanta. Terms were not disclosed. Engine Shop advised A-B InBev on the deal. The deal marks a return to esports for Bud Light, which was among the first non-endemic brands to make a big splash in gaming when it launched “Bud Light All Stars” in '16. That program drew mixed reviews and ended after two years. This weekend, Bud Light will operate a branded bar at the Allen Event Center, bring along the Bud Light Knight character and launch a sweepstakes for fans to win a trip to the Grand Finals, according to the Fuel.
