UK-based esports organisation Fnatic has entered a partnership with Anheuser-Busch beer brand Bud Light. 

The collaboration will include what is being described as a first-of-its-kind esports and beer promotion for the European market. Each promotional pack of beer will feature a code, giving customers the chance to win a money-can’t-buy gaming night with one of Fnatic’s pro players, or one of 100 Fnatic Reach headsets.

To launch the partnership, Fnatic FIFA player Harry Hesketh is starring in a video alongside Bud Light’s mascot, the Bud Knight. It will be featured on Fnatic and Bud Light’s social channels through December. 

Discussing the partnership COO at Fnatic, Glen Calvert, said:

“Esports is already loved by many around the world and we are thrilled to be partnering with a fun and light-hearted brand like Bud Light to help us raise awareness of this fantastic sport to the masses. The prizes on offer are really exciting for anyone who’s passionate about esports, or indeed anyone who is keen to get involved in this growing community of fans.”

While Senior Brand Manager at Bud Light, Martina Isella, added:

“This year we wanted to make sure we were reaching our target audience of 18 to 30-year-olds by modernising beer through culture and fun. We needed something that was more relevant than ever for this group, and esports is a growth phenomenon and one of the most rapidly growing passion points for this age bracket, which was accelerated by the pandemic.”

The partnership isn’t the first for Fnatic and Bud Light – last year they teamed up to throw a viewing party in London for the League of Legends World Championship. 

Staying with Fnatic, just last week the organisation revealed it had secured a $10M USD investment through an internal funding round led by VC and private equity firm Beringea. In the same week, Fnatic also announced a partnership with Italian coffee brand Lavazza. 

AYO.NEWS says:

Given Bud Light’s history of esports sponsorships, having previously partnered with Overwatch League, NBA 2K League, and Magic Gaming among others, we guess it’s safe to assume the brand is pleased with the results it’s getting as it tries to engage the critical 18-30 demographic. 

However, given restrictions surrounding alcohol marketing in other areas, like gambling for example, and the general shift towards ‘nanny state’ regimes in many countries, we do have to wonder how long it will be before certain politicians start calling for esports alcohol sponsorships to be restricted or banned.

‘AYO.NEWS says’ features the opinion of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of Pentagon Digital Limited or its affiliates or associates. 

All original content featured on this site is © Pentagon Digital Limited, 2020.