In 1989, Anheuser-Busch signed an agreement with the NFL giving the brewer exclusive rights to advertise alcohol nationally during the Super Bowl. After 33 years of having a monopoly over big game beer ads, however, AB InBev decided not to renew their license this year. And as the video below shows, the field is now wide open for companies like MillerCoors to reach a big national audience that has previously been unavailable to them.
Questions:
- Do you think it was wise for AB InBev not to renew their exclusive rights to advertise alcohol during the Super Bowl? Why or why not?
- How did companies like MillerCoors get around AB InBev’s exclusive rights to advertise during the Super Bowl in previous years?