The UFC announced that Bud Light will be its official beer following a partnership it recently formed with Anheuser-Busch. The decision raised eyebrows among critics in light of Bud Light’s half year of bad press caused by their ad campaign with trans activist Dylan Mulvaney.
Beginning in 2024, UFC will feature Bud Light in its broadcasts and online posting as part of a multiyear contract. It will be replacing Modelo as the UFC’s official beer partner.
(RELATED: Modelo Surpasses Bud Light In Beer Sales)
“Anheuser-Busch and Bud Light were UFC’s original beer sponsors more than fifteen years ago. I’m proud to announce we are back in business together,” UFC CEO Dana White said Tuesday. “There are many reasons why I chose to go with Anheuser-Busch and Bud Light, most importantly because I feel we are very aligned when it comes to our core values and what the UFC brand stands for. I’m looking forward to all of the incredible things we will do in the years ahead.”
We’re proud to announce that starting in 2024, we’ll once again be the official beer sponsor of @UFC pic.twitter.com/n9jcDyLhVv
— Bud Light (@budlight) October 24, 2023
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“Anheuser-Busch and Bud Light have always been on the cutting edge of iconic sporting moments that fans remember forever, and reuniting with UFC is a continuation of this industry leading legacy,” Anheuser-Busch CEO Brendan Whitworth said in a press release. “As one of the largest and longest standing sport sponsors, we are excited to work with UFC to celebrate our passionate fans while always making a positive impact in communities across America.”
Dana White appeared on “The Sean Hannity Show,” during which he said the “the furthest thing” from his mind was money when he approved of the deal.
He went on to tout Bud Light’s credentials of being an All-American company, heavily implying the deal was a brand-image rescue mission.
“These guys employ 65,000 Americans, thousands of vets they employ. They spend over $700 million a year with U.S. farmers, you know, buying their crops for their product. And there’s many, many other reasons that I did this,” White said on Hannity’s radio show. “Where I sit personally with my core values and I felt like the core values of the UFC, even though we’re a global sport, and we have fighters from all over the world. This is an American company. And I love this country and this is more about me being aligned with somebody who is a sponsor of the UFC and somebody I’m going to work with every day.”
White touched on the Mulvaney controversy saying some fans “might not love” every business move made by Anheuser-Busch or UFC for that matter might make, but said his choice to partner with them “wasn’t a tough decision at all.”
“This is more about core values to me than anything else,” White repeated.
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