Anheuser-Busch And MLB Properties Extend Partnership To 2018

NEW YORK, Aug. 22, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Budweiser and baseball, two American staples whose history can be traced back to the late 1800s, will continue to go hand-in-hand. Anheuser-Busch and Major League Baseball Properties today announced a six-year renewal of the sponsorship agreement that designates Budweiser as the Official Beer Sponsor of Major League Baseball, continuing a relationship that has lasted more than 30 years.

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As part of the sponsorship, Anheuser-Busch will have exclusive rights within the malt beverage category to use the MLB marks and logos.  Budweiser also 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, the 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 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 Oct. 5, with the winners advancing to their respective Division Series. MLB expanded the Postseason format earlier this year.

"For more than 30 years, America's national pastime has partnered with America's beer and we are proud to continue the union of two brands that evoke such loyalty and emotion," said Tim Brosnan, Major League Baseball Executive Vice President, Business. "By partnering on initiatives like the Wild Card and MLB Fan Cave, this new agreement truly demonstrates an evolution in our relationship."

"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," said Blaise D'Sylva, vice president of media, sports and entertainment marketing at Anheuser-Busch. "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." 

To celebrate its renewed status as the Official Beer Sponsor of MLB, Budweiser will host a "Made in MLB Fan Cave" concert tonight with The Walkmen, who will embark on a U.S. tour this fall in support of their sixth studio album, the critically-acclaimed Heaven. More than 200 Budweiser Facebook fans will be in attendance at the Fan Cave in New York City, where they will hear a set by The Walkmen and have an opportunity to sample Budweiser's new "Project 12" beers, small-batch Budweiser "tribute beers," three of which will be nationally available later this year in a Fall sampler pack.

In addition to its status as Official Beer Sponsor of MLB, Budweiser sponsors 23 of the league's 30 teams and continues to support America's fallen heroes throughout the 2012 MLB season via its "Walk Off a Hero" program. Budweiser is donating $5,000* for every walk-off win during baseball's regular season to the Folds of Honor Foundation, which provides post-secondary educational scholarships for families of U.S. military personnel killed or disabled while serving their country.

For more information, visit Budweiser's website and Facebook page.

About Anheuser-Busch

Based in St. Louis, Anheuser-Busch is the leading American brewer, holding a 47.7 percent share of U.S. beer sales to retailers.  The company brews Budweiser and Bud Light, two of the world's largest-selling beers.  Anheuser-Busch also owns a 50 percent share in Grupo Modelo, Mexico's leading brewer.  Anheuser-Busch is a major manufacturer of aluminum cans and has been a leading aluminum recycler for more than 30 years.  The company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch InBev, the leading global brewer, and continues to operate under the Anheuser-Busch name and logo.  For more information, visit www.anheuser-busch.com.

About Major League Baseball Properties

The Major League Baseball Clubs formed Major League Baseball Properties (MLBP) in 1966 as the Clubs' agent for marketing and trademark licensing and protection. Major League Baseball Properties is responsible for managing consumer licensing activities, developing national advertising campaigns, cultivating sponsorship opportunities with major consumer brands and corporations, growing the game and the business of baseball outside the United States and creating national marketing programs in conjunction with Clubs, broadcast rights holders and national sponsors. MLBP also operates a full-service video and audio production unit (Major League Baseball Productions), a publishing division and stock photo licensing agency, and manages logistics for the All-Star Game and World Series as well as all other special events. For more information on Major League Baseball, log on to www.MLB.com.

*Maximum donation of $2.5 million includes $5,000 for every walk-off in select 2012 professional baseball games and portion of sales for every case of Budweiser sold, 5/20-7/7.  For details, visit www.facebook.com/budweiser. 

SOURCE Major League Baseball; Anheuser-Busch