ICC onboards Budweiser 0.0 as official beer partner

MUMBAI: Budweiser is muscling into cricket, with AB InBev striking a landmark deal to become the official beer partner of all major International Cricket Council tournaments from 2026. The pact, unveiled in Brussels and reinforced at a press conference at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium on December 11, marks the brewer’s most assertive move yet into cricket’s booming global economy.

The partnership will be led in India by Budweiser 0.0, the brand’s no-alcohol variant, with other AB InBev labels activated across Europe and Africa. The brewer said lower-ABV and no-alcohol options made beer a “natural choice” for in-stadium and bar-viewing occasions, provided fans drink responsibly.

ICC chief executive Sanjog Gupta called the tie-up a “natural alliance”, noting cricket’s two billion fans and AB InBev’s track record of immersive, experience-led consumer activations.

Kartikeya Sharma, president of AB InBev India, said the brewer’s approach to cricket would mirror its decentralised FIFA model. “AVMF may partner with the FIFA World Cup, but most of our businesses choose the brands that make sense for their own markets,” he said. “It will be the same with the ICC. Markets will calibrate what fits best. South Africa, for instance, may activate a brand that aligns with its sporting culture and consumer base.”
 

Marcel Marcondes, the brewer’s global chief marketing officer, said the deal gives its portfolio “another mega platform” on which to create social drinking moments.

The agreement covers all major men’s and women’s tournaments through 2027, including the Men’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka in 2026, the Women’s T20 World Cup in the UK the same year, the first Women’s Champions Trophy in 2027, the World Test Championship Final in England and the Men’s Cricket World Cup in South Africa.