UFC and Bud Light announce record-breaking sponsorship deal: “I feel we are very aligned when it comes to our core values”

The UFC and Bud Light have agreed to a record-breaking sponsorship deal.

According to ESPN, the UFC signed a new partnership deal with Anheuser-Busch to make Bud Light the official beer of the promotion. Sources had told ESPN that it’s the biggest sponsorship deal in the company’s history, but the exact terms of the deal were not announced. However, the deal surpasses the $175 million deal the UFC signed with Crypto.com.

The report also indicates that the multi-year deal between the UFC and Bud Light is set to begin on Jan. 1, 2024. During the partnership, Bud Light will receive “prominent” branding on the Octagon, social media, and will also be featured on the broadcasts.

“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.”

The UFC had been partnered with Modelo since 2017, and it’s uncertain if there were any talks to re-sign that deal before coming to an agreement with Bud Light. This will also not be the first time Anheuser-Busch is a partner of the Las Vegas-based promotion, as they were the beer of the Ultimate Fighting Championship for several years up until the Las Vegas-based promotion signed the deal with Modelo.

The first time the UFC and Bud Light sponsorship will be featured is on January 13 at the Apex which is the promotion’s first event of 2024. The first pay-per-view will be UFC 297 which goes down the following week from Toronto, Ontario, Canada.