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Anheuser-Busch InBev (BUD) is expected to return to advertising during the upcoming Super Bowl with 150 seconds of airtime during what will likely be the most-watched event of the year. The beer giant will air a commercial for Budweiser with the iconic Clydesdales, and feature Michelob Ultra in a spot with soccer legend Lionel Messi. The company will also spotlight Bud Light with a new celebrity cameo. NFL Hall-of-Famers Peyton Manning and Emmitt Smith have been in recent Bud Light commercials.
Anheuser-Busch InBev (BUD) appears to be tightening its ownership of craft breweries. The company is closing Wynwood Brewing Company in Miami and Golden Road in Sacramento, according to TD Cowen analyst Robert Moskow. He noted that Anheuser-Busch (BUD) is expected to move production of Wynwood’s core beers to A-B owned Veza Sur. Notably, Wynwood is one of four remaining brands (Kona, Cisco Brewers, Wynwood and Omission) in the beer portfolio that were swallowed up in the Craft Brew Alliance acquisition.
Looking ahead, Anheuser-Busch InBev (BUD) still faces the threat of a labor strike. The Teamsters union said it more united than ever at Anheuser-Busch InBev (BUD) and fully prepared for a large strike and nationwide boycott. On December 16, 5K Teamsters at 12 Anheuser-Busch breweries in the U.S. voted by an overwhelming 99% majority to authorize a strike. The Teamsters negotiating committee expects Anheuser-Busch to return to negotiations with a response to the members’ pre-ratified model agreement. The Teamsters at Anheuser-Busch (BUD) brew, package, and ship Budweiser, Bud Light, and other products; maintain breweries and equipment, and care for the world-famous Clydesdales.
Shares of Anheuser-Busch InBev (BUD) are down 4% for the early part of 2024 after rallying for the last two months of 2023. BUD trades about 4% than where it stood a year ago despite the market loss in the U.S. Strong results in other geographic regions have offset the Bud Light losses.
