So Long, Mickey's?
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Anheuser-Busch Cos. Inc. and Ultimate Fighting Championship unveiled an advertising alliance Thursday that marks a coming-of-age endorsement for a sport that Sen. John McCain once derided as "human cockfighting."
UFC has come a long way since it was founded in 1993 with an anything-goes mentality that pitted tough fighters in sometimes bloody matches. The league is now a multimillion dollar enterprise that broadcasts arena-filled events on pay-per-view and has deals with cable networks like Spike TV.
UFC president Dana White said the Anheuser-Busch endorsement is a key step in the sport's migration into mainstream entertainment because of the brewer's reputation as a flagship sponsor for sports like boxing and NASCAR.
"It's huge for the sport," White said.
For the nation's largest brewer, the partnership is a great way to reach the choice beer-drinking consumer group of males ages 21 to 34, said Tony Ponturo, vice president of global media and sports marketing for the St. Louis-based maker of Budweiser, Bud Light and other brews.
"We're ... following the consumer and what they are interested in," Ponturo said.
Anheuser-Busch declined to say how much it will spend on the UFC campaign. But Ponturo said the Bud Light logo will be emblazoned the floor of the fighting ring at big events beginning May 24.
The ad campaign will also feature extensive "point-of-sale" promotions at stores where Anheuser-Busch products are sold, he said.
While UFC started as a niche event, it has imposed rules and added weight classes. The sport is sanctioned by dozens of state athletic commissions. In 2006, 10 pay-per-view UFC events generated over $200 million in revenue, more than boxing brought for HBO.
UFC has come a long way since it was founded in 1993 with an anything-goes mentality that pitted tough fighters in sometimes bloody matches. The league is now a multimillion dollar enterprise that broadcasts arena-filled events on pay-per-view and has deals with cable networks like Spike TV.
UFC president Dana White said the Anheuser-Busch endorsement is a key step in the sport's migration into mainstream entertainment because of the brewer's reputation as a flagship sponsor for sports like boxing and NASCAR.
"It's huge for the sport," White said.
For the nation's largest brewer, the partnership is a great way to reach the choice beer-drinking consumer group of males ages 21 to 34, said Tony Ponturo, vice president of global media and sports marketing for the St. Louis-based maker of Budweiser, Bud Light and other brews.
"We're ... following the consumer and what they are interested in," Ponturo said.
Anheuser-Busch declined to say how much it will spend on the UFC campaign. But Ponturo said the Bud Light logo will be emblazoned the floor of the fighting ring at big events beginning May 24.
The ad campaign will also feature extensive "point-of-sale" promotions at stores where Anheuser-Busch products are sold, he said.
While UFC started as a niche event, it has imposed rules and added weight classes. The sport is sanctioned by dozens of state athletic commissions. In 2006, 10 pay-per-view UFC events generated over $200 million in revenue, more than boxing brought for HBO.
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