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    Bud Light to return as the UFC’s official beer next year as it recovers from a conservative backlash

    By SHOOTUpdated:No Comments4394 Views
    In this Sept. 9, 2017, file photo, ILir Latifi, right, of Sweden, takes down Tyson Pedro, of Australia, during their mixed martial arts bout at UFC 215 in Edmonton, Alberta. Bud Light is set to return as the official beer of UFC in the U.S. next year. Under a new multi-year marketing deal between UFC and Bud Light maker Anheuser-Busch, the brewer will become the mixed martial arts organization's “Official Beer Partner” in the U.S. starting Jan. 1, per a joint announcement on Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press via AP, File)
    NEW YORK (AP) --

    Bud Light is set to return as the official beer of the UFC in the U.S. next year as the brand tries to recover from a conservative backlash to a promotion with a transgender influencer.

    Under a new multiyear marketing deal between the promoter of mixed martial arts fights and Bud Light maker Anheuser-Busch, the brewer will become the UFC's "Official Beer Partner" in the U.S. starting Jan. 1, the two companies announced.

    Outside the U.S., AB InBev, the parent of Anheuser-Busch, will be UFC's official global partner.

    Financial details of the deal were not disclosed — but, citing a person familiar with the matter, Bloomberg reported that the global agreement marks the UFC's largest sponsorship ever, surpassing a $175 million fight-kit deal signed with Crypto.com back in 2021.

    A UFC spokesperson declined to comment on the financial terms of the partnership. Anheuser-Busch did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday.

    This isn't the first time the UFC and the beer brand have paired up. Anheuser-Busch and Bud Light were UFC's original beer sponsors more than 15 years ago, UFC CEO Dana White said in a Tuesday statement — adding that he feels UFC, Anheuser-Busch and Bud Light "are very aligned when it comes to our core values."

    News of the partnership comes during a rocky year for Anheuser-Busch. The brewer has seen a monthslong sales decline for Bud Light after conservative critics vowed to boycott the brand for sending a commemorative can to transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney earlier this year. Bud Light has also faced backlash from Mulvaney's supporters and LGBTQ+ rights groups, who say the company didn't do enough to support her.

    In June, Bud Light lost its place as America's best-selling beer after more than two decades, slipping into second place behind Mexican lager Modelo Especial. InBev also owns Modelo, but in the U.S. the brand is imported and sold by Constellation Brands.

    As Bud Light sales plunged, Anheuser-Busch InBev reported a 10.5% fall in U.S. revenue for this year's second quarter. Meanwhile, overall its revenue rose 7.2%, to $15.1 billion, from the same period a year ago — as global brands such as Stella Artois and Corona made up for the loss in Bud Light sales.

     

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    Tags:Bud LightDylan MulvaneyUFC



    William Dafoe, Jonathan Bailey and Peter Dinklage join the voice cast for Starburn Industries’ “Lincoln in the Bardo”

    Friday, August 28, 2026
    Peter Dinklage (photo by Whitney Matewe)

    Actors Willem Dafoe, Jonathan Bailey and Peter Dinklage have joined the voice cast of Starburns Industries’ “Lincoln in the Bardo,” based on acclaimed author George Saunders’ New York Times bestseller and 2017 Booker Prize-winner.  Saunders adapted the screenplay, with Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Duke Johnson directing.  It was announced earlier that Tom Hanks stars as the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln, in the live action portion of the film.  CAA Media Finance and WME Independent are handling sales at the upcoming TIFF: The Market.

    The film employs a unique blend of stop-motion animation and live action to explore one of the most intimate moments of Lincoln’s life, centering on his relationship with his recently deceased eleven-year-old son.  Blending history and imagination, the story unfolds through an unforgettable ensemble of characters – living and dead, historical and invented – to explore themes of love, empathy, and the human capacity for connection in the face of unimaginable grief.

    Reverend Everly Thomas – the ghost of a minister who died believing he would go to heaven, but, to his dismay, found out otherwise – is voiced by Dafoe.  Bailey is voicing Roger Bevins, the ghost of a young gay man who took his own life over a failed love affair and instantly regretted it.  Dinklage is voicing Hans Vollman, a ghost obsessed with his dream of being reunited with his much-younger wife.

    Four-time Academy Award nominee Dafoe’s credits include animated films “Finding Nemo,” “Fantastic Mr. Fox” and “The Boy and the Heron,” as well as “At Eternity’s Gate,” “The Florida Project,” “Shadow of the Vampire” and seminal Vietnam movie... Read More

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