National Football League

Bud locks up Super Bowl beer ads through 2014

Published Jan. 21, 2011 6:06 a.m. ET

foxsports

Fans of the Super Bowl can probably expect to see Clydesdales in the game for the next few years.

The owner of Budweiser says it has locked up its position as the only national beer advertiser in the Super Bowl through 2014.

The brewer, which became Anheuser-Busch InBev NV in 2008, has had a presence in the NFL's championship game as the exclusive beer advertiser for 23 years. This year, it will again feature its famous horses and, according to Kantar Media, it will keep its spot as the game's largest ad buyer.

The week of the Super Bowl, which will be played on Feb. 6, is a busy one for brewers with beer sales rising as much as 20 percent above a typical week in January or February.

That's part of the reason the U.S. subsidiary, Anheuser-Busch Inc., is buying seven 30-second spots this year and securing its presence going forward.

"We wouldn't have done it if the payoff wasn't there," said Anheuser-Busch President Dave Peacock.

This year, AB InBev will tout Belgian lager Stella Artois in its first Super Bowl with a 60-second ad. Flagship brand Budweiser will have one 60-second ad and Bud Light will get three 30-second spots.

The brewer is kicking off its annual Super Bowl ad campaign this weekend during the AFC and NFC championship football games with two different 15-second spots set in the Wild West. Both spots end "To be continued: Feb. 6, 2011."