Budweiser Ends FA Cup Sponsorship After Three Years To Focus On World Cup

Budweiser "has confirmed its plans to end its sponsorship of the FA Cup" at the end of the '14-15 season, "focusing its attention instead on its deal with FIFA to sponsor the next three World Cups," according to Alex Brownsell of MARKETING MAGAZINE. The Anheuser-Busch InBev-owned beer brand "took over from energy firm E.ON as title partner in 2012, with plans to build a global audience for the FA Cup to match competitions such as the Premier League and the Champions League" (MARKETING MAGAZINE, 2/10). The BBC reported Budweiser "was the first U.S. sponsor of English football's FA Cup." There have been reports that the FA "would consider offering naming rights for the trophy, but it is understood it is seeking a similar arrangement to the existing deal." Under this deal, Budweiser is "in association with" the FA Cup (BBC, 2/7).