Anheuser-Busch InBev will be an official sponsor for three Olympic Games starting with the Paris 2024 summer event this year, the company announced.
The brewer named its alcohol-free Corona Cero as the official beer of the Games.
“We are proud to be the first beer sponsor for the Olympics at the Worldwide Olympic Partner level. Beer is the beverage of moderation and choice, and so it’s only fitting to lead with Corona Cero for this occasion,” said AB InBev CEO Michel Doukeris.
The maker of Budweiser, Corona and Stella Artois will be a Worldwide Olympic Partner, the highest level of Olympic sponsorship. The sponsorship covers the upcoming Summer Olympic Games in Paris as well as the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
“As we continue to invest to grow the category, we are excited to bring our beer brands to the Olympics,” said Marcel Marcondes, AB InBev chief marketing officer.
Before this, the Olympics never had a global beer sponsorship, but local organizing committees had enlisted beer brands in the past. For example, Asahi Breweries was the official beer of the 2020 Summer Games in Tokyo (which took place in 2021 because of the Covid-19 pandemic.), reported CNN.
Rather than advertising an established beer, AB InBev’s said in their announcement that non-alcoholic Corona Cero beer will be promoted globally to show “commitment to responsible consumption” to the “billions of Olympic fans around the world with messages of connection, moderation and celebration.”
“Corona is one of our fastest-growing global brands, and through this partnership, we expect Corona Cero to accelerate no-alcohol beer growth and highlight moderation,” said Marcondes.
Marcondes told CNN, “We are always connected and up to speed with consumer behavior, being a consumer-centric organization, that’s what we do. We see all the trends towards non-alcoholic propositions coming from consumers, and also we know that beer is usually the beverage of choice for sports fans.”
Beer sales rose 1.4% in 2023, and imports and flavored malt beverages accounted for most of the growth according to data firm NIQ. And, as more Americans take an interest in sober lifestyles, the timing may be just right for the Olympic beer sponsor.