Anheuser-Busch Taps Out Of Exclusive NFL Super Bowl Three-Decade Broadcast Deal
Thursday, June 16, 2022 at 08:09PM By Barry Janoff
June 16, 2022: Anheuser-Busch InBev said today it plans to continue to buy air time during upcoming NFL Super Bowls but would not renew a deal that for more than 30 years has given it alcohol-category exclusivity during national broadcasts.
In 1989, the brewer first signed an exclusive pact with NFL broadcast partners that prevented rival beer companies from advertising on-air during national broadcasts of the Big Game.
Other companies, however, were able to buy Super Bowl spots for regional or local broadcasts, with such as Sam Adams and Coors have done.
Anheuser-Busch maintained that national exclusivity deal through Super Bowl LVI, which aired on NBC this past February.
Foregoing those rights, as the company plans to do beginning with Super Bowl LVII — to air on Fox from State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Az. on Feb. 12, 2023 — now enables other companies to purchase national broadcast air time.
“Over the past several years, we’ve been on a journey to lead future growth," Spencer Gordon, Anheuser-Busch’s vp-consumer connections, said via the company. "This requires us to constantly re-assess where and how we deploy our investments, to rebalance our portfolio and stay ahead of consumer trends.
"When it comes to sponsorships and media, we are evolving our investments so that our brands reach the right consumers, at the right time, in the right place, with the right messages.”
This past December, Anheuser-Busch signed a five-year deal with the NFL extending Bud Light as the global exclusive beer and hard seltzer sponsor of the league through the 2026-27 season, including increased presence at such events as the NFL Draft and NFL Kickoff Weekend.
"We are evolving our investments so that our brands reach the right consumers, at the right time, in the right place, with the right messages.”
That pact is separate from those signed with NFL media partners airing the Super Bowl, including NBC, CBS and ESPN, which can now sign national on-air broadcast deals with other alcohol brands.
That includes Diego, which in June 2021 signed a multi-year alliance to become the NFL’s first official spirits sponsor and included activation that began with Super Bowl LVI and will continue at Super Bowl LVII.
Diego oversees such brands as Crown Royal Canadian Whisky, Smirnoff Vodka, Captain Morgan Original Spiced Rum, and Crown Royal Whisky.
“We look forward to working with Diageo on innovative programs to elevate their business, as well as furthering the important message around responsible drinking,” Renie Anderson, chief revenue officer and evp-NFL partnerships, said at the time.
During Super Bowl LVI, 30-second spots were going for upward of $5 million, although companies such as Anheuser-Busch, which purchase multiple spots, do not pay that high-end figure.
Casual viewers might not have noticed Anheuser-Busch’s exclusivity during Super Bowl LVI as the company ran some four minutes of national time as well as airtime via local media devoted to several of its brands.
They included Bud Light Next, Cutwater Spirits, Bud Light Seltzer Hard Soda, Stella Artois, Busch Light; and Michelob Ultra, Michelob Ultra Organic Hard Seltzer and Michelob Ultra Pure Gold.
“As we look to this year’s Super Bowl, we are excited to illustrate how Anheuser-Busch is accelerating its transformation and further adapting to today’s consumers,” Benoit Garbe, Anheuser-Busch, CMO said via the company prior to Super Bowl LVI, perhaps anticipating the move that Anheuser-Busch has now made.
“For (Super Bowl LVI), our brands will deliver content that is authentic to their purpose and centered on consumer truths – whether that be through creative that reminds viewers to find joy or content that celebrates the resilience of the American spirit
“Now more than ever we believe viewers want to hear about hope, positivity, and possibility, and we’re going to deliver on those themes.”
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