Bud Light & The UFC
Tapping into extreme sports
The diamond. The gridion. The hardwood. The rink.
Now, the OctagonTM.
In February, Bud Light signed on as the exclusive beer sponsor of the Ultimate Fighting Championship® (UFC), pairing one of the sports’ most powerful sponsors with the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization.
The UFC
Founded in 1993 and reborn in 2001 under the leadership of president Dana White and co-owners Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta, UFC led the emergence of mixed martial arts onto the sports landscape. With an avid fan following that fills its arenas and rival promotions popping up in its wake, the UFC is MAA – to the point that the two terms remain seemingly interchangeable.
The Move
Bud Light coming on board provides a major boost to the UFC’s continued growth, as the former’s powerful track record for marketing provides the latter with avenues for reaching new fans. Bud Light’s network of more than 700 independent wholesalers will take the UFC into local markets, raising visibility at retail through point-of sale materials, promotional items and by working with retail partners to activate around UFC pay-per-view events.
Looking Ahead
“For Bud Light, the sponsorship is a great way to reach the choice beer-drinking consumer group of males 21 to 34, attracting new fans to the sport while creating affinity for the brand,” said Tony Ponturo, vice president of global media and sports marketing for Anheuser-Busch.
“As a marketer, you have to observe what your consumer is doing,” said Tony Ponturo, vice president of global media and sports marketing for Anheuser-Busch. “There’s been considerable momentum building behind the UFC, and at a certain point it becomes hard to ignore. We’re excited to be a part of where this is going and hopefully to do our part in taking it there.”
For more information on Bud Light, please visit www.budlight.com. For more information, or current UFC fight news, visit www.ufc.com.