Bud Light is once again the official beer of the UFC.
According to a report from ESPN’s Marc Raimondi, the multi-year contract which begins on January 1, 2024, is said to be the biggest sponsorship deal in UFC history, though no terms were not disclosed at the time of the announcement.
“Anheuser-Busch and Bud Light were UFC’s original beer sponsors more than fifteen years ago,” UFC CEO Dana White said in a statement. “I’m proud to announce we are back in business together. There are many reasons why I chose to go with Anheuser-Busch and Bud Light, most importantly because I feel we are very aligned when it comes to our core values and what the UFC brand stands for. I’m looking forward to all of the incredible things we will do in the years ahead.”
Bud Light Looks to Bounce Back from nationwide boycotts with New uFC deal
In April, conservatives across the country called for a boycott of the brand after Bud Light was featured in a social media promotion by transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney.
Mulvaney, 26, is popular on TikTok, where she has more than 10 million followers, and documented part of her transition online in her Days of Girlhood series. Her Bud Light promotional post was less than 60 seconds and primarily advertised a $15,000 giveaway as part of this year’s March Madness. Mulvaney also brandished a tallboy can with her face on it which was never made available to the public.
Despite the very brief and harmless nature of the promotional ad, calls to boycott the product quickly followed. Music star Kid Rock famously shared a video of himself shooting a stack of Bud Light cases in support of the boycott, though he was spotted drinking the product at a concert in August.
Amid all the drama, Modelo Especial, a Mexican beer made by Constellation Brands, climbed to the top of the charts, becoming the top-selling beer in the United States. Ironically, Modelo signed a deal with the UFC in 2017 and has remained the official beer of the promotion. Until now.