After $100 million deal with UFC, controversial Bud Light continues ‘damage control’ by partnering with popular comedian friend of Joe Rogan

Amidst efforts to revitalize its brand, Bud Light embraces humor with Shane Gillis's tour, reflecting a new marketing direction alongside UFC, NFL, and Olympics partnerships.

After $100 million deal with UFC, controversial Bud Light continues ‘damage control’ by partnering with popular comedian friend of Joe Rogan

John Rogan's friend Shane Gillis partners with Bud Light (Image via: Instagram, Reddit)

The UFC recently signed a sponsorship deal with Anheuser-Busch InBev, which made Bud Light the official beer partner of the UFC. Dana White signed the deal with the company even after considering offers from others, including Modelo. The conservative section of the MMA community criticized the deal, as many unsubscribed from UFC Fight Pass. Nonetheless, White remains a steadfast supporter of the controversial beer. Now, Bud Light has announced their partnership with comedian Shane Gillis, a close friend of UFC commentator Joe Rogan.

The Bud Light VP of Marketing, Todd Allen, spoke to Fox News Digital about their decision to partner with Gillis. Allen stepped into the role after Alissa Gordon Heinerscheid took a leave of absence after the backlash from the Dylan Mulvaney commercial. Nonetheless, This is what Allen said about the partnership with Gillis.

Humor has always been at the heart of the Bud Light brand and central to our ‘Easy Enjoyment’ platform. We’re excited to partner with longtime fan of Bud Light, Shane Gillis, for his 2024 Live Comedy Tour where a good time with friends is always easy to enjoy.
Todd Allen via Fox Digital
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The controversial beer company got a bad rep after their association with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney. Fans consider the move to partner with Gillis as a form of damage control. They have already started the process with their partnerships with the UFC, NFL, and the Olympics.

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Gillis is a staple on Joe Rogan’s podcast and is a political centrist. However, some of his views have often come at odds with the woke liberals. His controversial departure from SNL was due to past remarks perceived as racist. Moreover, Gillis is among the best comedians in the industry, and the controversial beer company chose the right person to help them.

Joe Rogan, Shane Gillis and comedians discuss the boycott of Bud Light

The boycott of Bud Light was a big thing in the US. UFC commentator Joe Rogan discussed the Bud Light boycott on his podcast with Shane Gillis, Mark Normand, and Ari Shaffir. Rogan and Gillis had the same take, which was opposite to that of Normand and Shaffir.

Joe Rogan Bud Light
Joe Rogan calls out Bud Light for new commercial (Image Sources – The Daily Beast/Bloomberg)

Rogan and Gillis felt it would be very difficult for the Anheuser-Busch product to overcome the boycott by the conservatives. However, Normand and Shaffir felt that people would forget about the Dylan Mulvaney controversy in a couple of months or maybe a year.

Many, even in the UFC, support the boycott of Bud Light. Former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland is one of them. With Gillis’ recent partnership, Bud Light hopes to take back the market, which is now in the hands of Modelo, the ex-sponsors of the UFC.

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