ANHEUSER-BUSCH and Major League Baseball Properties have signed a six-year renewal of the sponsorship agreement that designates Budweiser as the Official Beer Sponsor of Major League Baseball (MLB).
As part of the sponsorship, which continues a relationship that has lasted more than 30 years, Anheuser-Busch will have exclusive rights within the malt beverage category to use the MLB marks and logos.
US media sector publication, Adweek, referenced analysts who valued the deal at upwards of $40 million per season, “roughly half of which is devoted to TV advertising and promotional commitments,” Adweek said.
Explaining the commercial basis for the partnership, Blaise D'Sylva, vice president of media, sports and entertainment marketing at Anheuser-Busch, said: "MLB has a broad and growing fan base and our partnership gives Budweiser a presence with a large and loyal audience of adult beer drinkers."
D'Sylva continued: “As the Official Beer Sponsor, our focus is on Budweiser enhancing the baseball experience for fans, whether in-game or at-home, through exclusive content and unique opportunities at point-of-sale, on-premise and via our social media channels."
Under the deal, Budweiser will be presenting sponsor of MLB Opening Week and the Player of the Month awards, as well as a cornerstone partner of the MLB Fan Cave, a league initiative geared towards engaging fans via social media while increasing the profile of star players and placing baseball at the center of all things pop culture.
At the MLB Fan Cave in New York, Budweiser will also be a presenting sponsor of the MLBFanCave.com Concert Series, which in 2012 has featured popular musical acts including Nas, Daughtry, Adam Lambert, The Avett Brothers and Far East Movement.
New in 2012, Budweiser will be the presenting sponsor of the first-ever Wild Card Games, the single-elimination games between the two Wild Card teams from each league that will be played on October 5, with the winners advancing to their respective Division Series. MLB expanded the Postseason format earlier this year.
By Matthew Glendinning
Follow Matthew on Twitter: @mattglen