By Stretch Jenkinson
NHL Public Relations
As a Longstanding Supporter of Hockey Across the Country, Budweiser Is Named an Official Beer of the NHL in Canada
TORONTO & NEW YORK (June 5, 2024) – Today, Labatt Breweries of Canada and the National Hockey League (NHL®) announced a multiyear Canadian partnership, which includes Budweiser becoming an Official Beer of the NHL in Canada.
As part of the partnership, Labatt will receive broadcast exposure through Digitally Enhanced Dasherboards (DED), the League’s advanced approach to dynamic dasherboard advertising during NHL regular season and Stanley Cup® Playoffs games broadcast on Rogers Sportsnet and Prime Monday Night Hockey game broadcasts on Prime Video in Canada. The DED system allows for the digital replacement of camera-visible arena dasherboards within local, national and international NHL game broadcasts. DED graphics can be displayed during games in a market-specific way wherever the game feed is broadcast resulting in dynamic and targeted branding and promotional messaging. DED allow for dynamic dasherboard branding and messaging featuring URLs, flighted marketing campaigns, co-branded official designations, social media integration, QR codes and more.
The new partnership also provides Labatt with an array of marketing and trade promotion opportunities, which will predominately be activated by the Budweiser brand, connecting Budweiser with the NHL and its fans through Labatt’s industry-leading retail-partner network, and the NHL’s vast marketing, digital and social media channels. Furthermore, Budweiser-focused activations will come to life at NHL events, such as the NHL Heritage Classic™, strengthening the brand’s commitment to elevating hockey fans’ experience and rallying Canadians behind the sport.
“As Canada’s leading beer brand, Budweiser has a long history of bringing friends together to celebrate Canada’s leading sport,” said Andrew Oosterhuis, Marketing Vice President, Labatt. “Through this National Hockey League partnership and the integration of dynamic digital advertising assets, Budweiser looks forward to building on its legacy of finding creative ways to connect with hockey fans.”
“We’re excited to welcome Budweiser back as an Official Beer of the NHL in Canada,” said Kyle McMann, NHL Senior Vice President, Global Business Development. “Budweiser, through over a decade of exceptional creative work has become synonymous with the social celebration NHL goals create for fans whether they’re at home, at a bar with friends or at an NHL game. As an Official NHL Partner in Canada, and beyond bringing the brand to life in live national games with our Digitally Enhanced Dasherboards technology and through highlight-driven goal scoring content, we look forward to working with the Budweiser brand team to create new ways to celebrate the social connections buds can have when their favourite NHL team scores.”
About Labatt Breweries of Canada
Labatt Breweries of Canada is one of Canada’s most established businesses and its leading beverage company, with over 3,600 employees; an unmatched portfolio of more than 70 quality beers including Bud Light, Busch, Corona, Michelob Ultra and Modelo Especial, ready-to-drinks including Cutwater, Mike’s Hard and NÜTRL, and non-alcoholic products including Budweiser Zero and Corona Sunbrew 0.0%; six key breweries; and four craft breweries from coast-to-coast. Our employees are the driving force behind our business – brewing the world’s most loved beverages, building iconic brands and creating meaningful experiences for Canadians. Through 176 years of brewing excellence, we are always looking to serve up new ways to meet life’s moments, dream big to move our industry forward and make a meaningful impact in our communities through a collective purpose of creating A Future with More Cheers.
About the NHL
The National Hockey League (NHL®), founded in 1917, consists of 32 Member Clubs. Each team roster reflects the League’s international makeup with players from more than 20 countries represented, all vying for the most cherished and historic trophy in professional sports – the Stanley Cup®. Every year, the NHL entertains more than 670 million fans in-arena and through its partners on national television and radio; more than 191 million followers – league, team and player accounts combined – across Facebook, X, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok, and YouTube; and more than 100 million fans online at NHL.com. The League broadcasts games in more than 160 countries and territories through its rightsholders including ESPN, TNT Sports and NHL Network in the U.S.; Sportsnet and TVA Sports in Canada; Viaplay in the Nordics, Baltics, and Poland; YLE in Finland; Nova in Czech Republic and Slovakia; Sky Sports and ProSieben in Germany; MySports in Switzerland; and CCTV5+ in China; and reaches fans worldwide with games available to stream in every country. Fans are engaged across the League’s digital assets on mobile devices via the free NHL® App; across nine social media platforms; on SiriusXM NHL Network Radio™; and on NHL.com, available in eight languages and featuring unprecedented access to player and team statistics as well as every regular-season and playoff game box score dating back to the League’s inception, powered by SAP. NHL Original Productions and NHL Studios produce compelling original programming featuring unprecedented access to players, coaches and League and team personnel for distribution across the NHL’s social and digital platforms.
The NHL is committed to building healthy and vibrant communities using the sport of hockey to celebrate fans of every race, color, religion, national origin, gender identity, age, sexual orientation, and socio-economic status. The NHL’s Hockey Is For Everyone™ initiative reinforces that the official policy of the sport is one of inclusion on the ice, in locker rooms, boardrooms and stands. The NHL is expanding access and opportunity for people of all backgrounds and abilities to play hockey, fostering more inclusive environments and growing the game through a greater diversity of participants. To date, the NHL has invested more than $100 million in youth hockey and grassroots programs, with a commitment to invest an additional $5 million for diversity and inclusion programs over the next year.
COURTESY NHL PUBLIC RELATIONS & NHLmedia.com
