UFC’s former official beer Modelo gains GROWTH despite Dana White’s company ditching them for controversial Bud Light

Amidst declining Bud Light sales and rising Modelo success, UFC's partnership sparks debate, reflecting the complex interplay of sports marketing and societal values.

UFC’s former official beer Modelo gains GROWTH despite Dana White’s company ditching them for controversial Bud Light

Dana White and the UFC did not save Bud Light as Modelo bagged the US market (Image via: IMAGO, Instagram)

Bud Light is the flagship beer of the multinational drink and brewing company Anheuser-Busch InBev. Dana White and the UFC recently penned a deal with Bud Light to make it the company’s official beer. It was a decision that did not go well in the conservative section. The then-UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland was and still is a vocal critique of it. The deal came after a six-year partnership with Modelo, which started a partnership with the UFC in October 2017. Nonetheless, the UFC deal did not save the Anheuser-Busch product, nor did it hinder the growth of their competitor, Modelo.

Breck Dumas of Fox Business recently published the news that compared the growth of several beer companies. This is what Dumas wrote about the sales of Bud Light and Modelo from the information from Bump Williams Consulting’s analysis of NielsenIQ data.

Bud Light sales were down 29.9% year over year for the week ending Jan. 20...... Modelo Especial, the Mexican lager owned by Constellation Brands, also gained further ground against Bud Light, seeing a 10.8% sales boost.
Breck Dumas via Fox Business
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Dumas suggested that the downward trajectory of the controversial beer is the impact of their controversial advertisement with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney. The ad resulted in celebs like Kid Rock and Joe Rogan bashing the company. The marketing strategy to align with liberal woke backfired, and their decision to align with the UFC was a desperate attempt. Dana White-led UFC is the only conservative-leaning promotion in the US sports leagues.

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Even though Anheuser-Busch’s product saw a dip in market share, its competitors thrived. Molson-Coors’ Coors Light, Miller Lite, Yuengling Light, and Modelo Especial thrived while Bud Light dipped. Dana White’s assertion of patriotism of Bud Light did not even save the company. Modelo is now the king of the American beer market share.

Anheuser-Busch’s steps to recover the market

The Dylan Mulvaney incident led to widespread boycotts against Bud Light. However, the company has already started its recovery process. The first step was to pen a deal with the UFC. Led by Dana White, the UFC is the premier MMA promotion in the world and has a large conservative fanbase. However, the move did not benefit the UFC as they lost a lot of Fight Pass subscriptions after the deal.

ex-UFC sponsor, Modelo overtook Bud Light in the US
ex-UFC sponsor, Modelo overtook Bud Light in the US (Image credits: 6abc.com)

The current official Beer sponsor of the UFC strategized to get back the conservative fans by appealing to their patriotism. In addition to the UFC, Bud Light has penned deals with the Olympics and the NFL. They plan to put out a series of ads at Super Bowl LVIII with a focus on patriotism and humor.

The controversial beer company has Dana White on its side, as he has spoken highly of the company on more than one occasion. White even mediated a talk between Bud Light CEO and Kid Rock, one of the most vocal critics of Bud Light.

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