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By MMAMemories.com

In what promises to become a landmark deal, Anheuser-Busch Corporation has announced that one of its brands, Bud Light, is going to become the exclusive beer sponsor for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). The agreement is to be in effect for a minimum of three years.

“UFC has developed a huge following in recent years and is wildly popular with the 21-34 year-old fans we want to reach,” said Tony Ponturo, an executive in charge of global media and sports marketing, said in a company press release.

Of course, that’s what the whole attraction is. UFC has a hold on that demographic, and that makes it potentially attractive for any and all “mainstream” sponsors. Those mainstream sponsors had not been coming aboard, partially due to their hesitation about the association with the rough combat sport of mixed martial arts. But with more of an understanding of the industry in the advertising world, and the obvious popularity the sport has with the younger viewer, the evolution was inevitable.

Bud Light’s deal will commence with UFC 84, which will be held at the MGM Grand on May 24. Bud Light will have plenty of signage in the venue, but that’s only part of its involvement; at least two pay-per-view events will carry a “presented by Bud Light” label, and in June there will be expansion over to the Versus network’s broadcasts of World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC), another organization that is controlled by the UFC.

With Anheuser-Busch’s access to literally hundreds of thousands of retail and hospitality outlets, the potential point-of-sale tie-ins are endless. There is probably no consumer product company - and certainly no beer sponsor - that has as much expertise in the world of sports marketing as does the Anheuser-Bush/Budweiser/Bud Light group. “We’ve got the number on selling beer in the world and one of the top marketers in all of sports as our sponsor…..this definitely cements UFC as a major player in the sports business,” said Dana White, president of the UFC.

Of course, he’s correct. With the beer giant on board, any discussion of MMA in general, and the UFC in particular, not being able to leverage itself over to the “big leagues” of sports marketing and presentation are moot.

Interestingly, Anheuser-Busch in effect managed to pry the UFC away from a competitor with this deal. the UFC’s shows had been sponsored in part by Mickey’s Fine Malt Liquor, which is part of the Miller Brewing Company. Mickey’s is a rather minor brand in the Miller family, though, and the Bud Light association certainly marks a big step up for the organization.

Between the company behind Budweiser promoting UFC events at every corner liquor store and bar, combined with the deal it just made with Yahoo to distribute Internet pay-per-view events, not to mention using the Yahoo search engine and directory to promote the brand worldwide and you have a brand that has now built the proper promotional infrastructure to be “White Hot” for many years to come.