Professional Fighters League announces multi-year, global partnership with Anheuser Busch In-Bev

Estrella Jalisco Becomes Exclusive Beer Partner of the PFL,
 Where Individual Elite MMA Fighters Compete in a True Sports League Format –

 Regular Season, Playoffs and Championship 

Estrella Jalisco Will Be Featured Throughout 2019 PFL Events
 Distributed to Over 130 Countries, Including in the U.S.
 on ESPN2, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ Beginning May 9

The Professional Fighters League (PFL), the first organization ever to present MMA through a Regular Season, Playoffs and Championship format, today announced a multi-year partnership with Anheuser Busch In-Bev (ABI), establishing the global brewing giant as the MMA league’s exclusive sponsor in the malt beverage category.

Estrella Jalisco has been designated as the first-ever “Official Beer Partner” of the PFL, garnering protected beer category exclusivity across the league and its media partners and global partner territory designation and protection. 

“Anheuser Busch In-Bev shares in our passion to advance the sport of MMA and deliver fans an unparalleled viewing experience through an innovative sports-season format and breakthrough technology, making this an ideal partnership,” said Peter Murray, CEO of the Professional Fighters League. “Together we are committed to activating the Estrella Jalisco brand globally across PFL fan touch points - at venues, on digital and social, at retail and within our live event broadcasts distributed to over 130 countries worldwide, including on ESPN2, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ in the U.S.”

As the Official Beer of the PFL, Estrella Jalisco has global rights to use PFL logos and “Official Partner” branding for advertising and promotional usage, including pass-through branding rights for promotions with on-premise and retail channel partners. ABI and the league will also collaborate on exclusive content across digital platforms.

Estrella Jalisco logos will be featured in and around the cage and on signage in and around the arenas. PFL regular season action returns to New York and New Jersey, with mini residencies for PFL 1-3 at NYCB Live, home of the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum on Long Island, and PFL 4-6 at Ocean Casino Resort in Atlantic City, N.J. This season, the PFL will be introducing the PFL Cageside Club, a new VIP floor level experience for fans, which will prominently feature the Mexican beer.  

“This global partnership with the PFL grants us the opportunity to reach and engage with a dynamic, passionate and massive fan base in a sport that has captured the hearts and minds of beer drinkers around the world,” said Nick Kelly, Head of Sports Marketing at ABI. “The PFL is out to revolutionize MMA, and its new relationship with ESPN affords us with an incredible platform to continue to grow our Estella Jalisco brand. We are thrilled to be a part of the journey and establish another authentic touchpoint with our consumers.” 

About Professional Fighters League

The Professional Fighters League (PFL) presents MMA for the first time in the sport-season format where individual fighters control their own destiny, competing in a regular season, playoffs, and championship.  PFL’s differentiated format and exciting fights sparked breakout growth for the league. PFL 2019 and 2020 Seasons are Thursday nights primetime live on ESPN2 and ESPN+.

PFL Season features elite MMA athletes across six weight classes, including the first-ever 155-pound women’s division, with each fighting twice during the PFL Regular Season in May, June, July, and August. The top eight fighters in each weight class advance to the single-elimination PFL Playoffs in October, where fighters must fight twice and win twice in the same night to advance to the finals.  PFL Championship is New Year’s Eve with the winners of each title bout being crowned PFL World Champion of their respective weight class and earning $1 million.   Viewers will be delivered next-gen stats never before seen in MMA through the PFL’s proprietary SmartCage™ platform and Cagenomics™ technology.

PFL is backed by an investor group of sports, media, entertainment, and business titans.  For more info visit www.PFLmma.com and follow PFL on Instagram (@PFLmma), Twitter (@ProFightLeague), and Facebook (/ProFightLeague).

About Estrella Jalisco

Estrella Jalisco is a premium, 4.5% ABV Mexican pilsner with a pale, beautiful golden yellow color and a refreshingly light, crisp flavor. First brewed in Guadalajara, Jalisco in 1910, it has become one of the largest beer brands in Mexico. Estrella Jalisco is made with more than 100 years of tradition in each drop, brewed to create the most refreshing blend of aroma and taste using traditional ingredients that make it the pride of Jalisco. For more information, visit www.estrellajalisco.com. 

About Anheuser-Busch

For more than 165 years, Anheuser-Busch has been woven into the cultural fabric of the United States, carrying on a legacy of brewing great-tasting, high-quality beers that have satisfied beer drinkers for generations. Today, we own and operate 23 breweries, 15 distributorships and 23 agricultural and packaging facilities, and have more than 18,000 colleagues across the United States. We are home to several of America’s most recognizable beer brands, including Budweiser, Bud Light, Michelob ULTRA and Stella Artois, as well as a number of regional brands that provide beer drinkers with a choice of the best-tasting craft beers in the industry.   

From responsible drinking programs and emergency drinking water donations to industry-leading sustainability efforts, we are guided by our unwavering commitment to supporting the communities we call home.

For more information, visit www.anheuser-busch.com or follow Anheuser-Busch on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.