AB InBev beer brand Budweiser has arrived in Holland and signed a new partnership with Dutch Eredivisie club Ajax.
Under the deal, Budweiser will become the club’s Official Beer Partner for the next six years, until the end of the 2024-25 season. The deal covers both the men’s and women’s teams.
According to a report from local news site De Telegraaf, the deal is worth €12m ($13.3m) over six years.
The deal goes live this week alongside the launch of ‘Bud’, AB InBev’s first Budweiser brand to be made available in the Netherlands.
Nicolas Bartholomeeusen, country director for the Netherlands at AB InBev, told Dutch broadcaster RTL Nieuws that Budweiser hopes to gain a “few per cent market share” by targeting both male and female drinkers between the ages of 18 and 35.
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Budweiser will compete with its established Dutch rival Heineken on its home turf, and the two brands will both be using Ajax in their marketing activities.
Heineken is signed up as a sponsor of Ajax’s home ground, the Johan Cruijff ArenA, under a deal from 2017 to 2026.
An official statement from Ajax said the deal is part of Budweiser’s strategy to “conquer” the European market.
The news of the Budweiser-Ajax tie-up comes after the brand announced two major partnerships with Spain’s LaLiga and the English Premier League.