October 30 – Heineken’s official beer sponsorship of the Champions League that began in 1994 looks set to end after Budweiser brewer Anheuser-Busch InBev announced it was in exclusive negotiations for the rights to all UEFA’s men’s club competitions.
Talks are around securing a six-year deal starting in 2027 and running through to 2033, with AB InBev becoming the global official partner in the beer product category.
UC3, UEFA’s joint venture marketing agency with EFC said UC3, launched the tender in early October with Relevent Football Partners – the new London-based subsidiary of US-based Relevent – supporting negotiations. It is the first major deal involving Relevent since it picked up the sales rights from TEAM Marketing.
The deal is estimated to be worth €1.2 billion over the six seasons, €200 million per season.
“Our selection by UC3 reflects our commitment to football and our mega-platform strategy,” AB InBev said in a statement that was released for the New York Stock Exchange after the market closed today (Wednesday). “We look forward to becoming a great partner to UC3 for years to come.”
AB InBev has multiple football partnerships. Adding the Champions League to its portfolio gives it the world’s biggest and best club competition to sit alongside the FIFA men’s and women’s World Cups. It was also a sponsor of FIFA’s Club World Cup this summer.
UC3’s target revenue for UEFA club competitions in the new rights cycle starting 2027 is at least €5 billion euros in gross revenue each season, according to reports. Current revenue is estimated at €4.4 billion. Putting to bed the AB InBev deal marks a good start.
The Champions League prize fund is almost €2.5 billion and shared between the 36 Champions League teams.
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