The Olympics tap its first-ever global beer sponsor

Bud Light brewer Anheuser-Busch InBev is becoming the first-ever beer sponsor for the next three Olympics and Paralympic games, with a non-alcoholic brand taking the torch.

Bud Light brewer Anheuser-Busch InBev is becoming the first-ever beer sponsor for the next three Olympics and Paralympic Games — with a non-alcoholic brand taking the torch. Rather than using the sponsorship to advertise an established beer, AB InBev announced Friday that non-alcoholic Corona Cero beer will be promoted globally to show the company’s and International Olympic Committee’s “commitment to responsible consumption” to the “billions of Olympic fans around the world with messages of connection, moderation and celebration.” Financial terms of the sponsorship weren’t revealed. The deal will cover the upcoming Summer Games in Paris, the Milan Winter Games in 2026, and the 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles, which will be the first Summer Olympics to be held in the US in about three decades. Prior to 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.) “Beer and sports are better together, so we are proud to be the first beer sponsor for the Olympics at the Worldwide Olympic Partner level,” said AB InBev CEO Michel Doukeris in a statement. Global sales of non-alcoholic beer have been soaring in recent years as drinkers embrace moderation with alcohol. IWSR Drinks Market Analysis, a global firm that tracks alcohol sales, said sales of no and low products are expected to grow by 31% this year in 10 major markets, including Spain, Germany and the US.