MILWAUKEE — The Milwaukee Bucks' season opener at Fiserv Forum on Saturday will look a little different this year, featuring only Anheuser-Busch products.
Anheuser-Busch took over as Fiserv Forum's primary beer sponsor, replacing Molson Coors Beverage Co., according to our partners at theMilwaukee Business Journal.
Molson Coors and the Milwaukee Bucks were unable to reach a new sponsorship deal. A source close to the deal told the Milwaukee Business Journal the Bucks were seeking a significant increase in the sponsorship fee due to the team's 2021 NBA Championship.
Fans at Fiserv Forum events will no longer have Miller Lite offerings and instead will see Budweiser and Bud Light.
FILE - In this Thursday, March 5, 2015 file photo, Budweiser beer cans at a concession stand at McKechnie Field in Bradenton, Fl. USA. British-based brewer SABMiller accepted in principle Tuesday a 69 billion pound ($106 billion) takeover offer from Anheuser Busch InBev that will create the world's biggest beer company and bring together top U.S. brands Budweiser and Miller Genuine Draft. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)
Molson Coors said in an emailed statement to the Milwaukee Business Journal on Friday, “Milwaukee is more than a sponsorship to us, it’s our home. And whether it’s our county parks or community organizations across the Milwaukee area, or the Brewers, the Packers, and Summerfest, we will continue investing here in our hometown. We wish the team success, and we will continue finding unique ways to invest in this city."
The Milwaukee Business Journal also obtained a separate email sent to Molson Coors' Milwaukee employees on Thursday, stating the company was in negotiations with the Bucks to renew its sponorship, but didn't reach an agreement "where the investment made sense for us or our distributor partners."
The email went on to state, "Instead, it sounds like the team has chosen to bring on (Anheuser-Busch) as a partner moving forward. We certainly wish the Bucks continued success in their pursuit of future championships. We will reinvest the dollars from this alliance in the market. And as you know, we remain deeply committed to our hometown through our partnerships with the Brewers, Packers, Summerfest and the Wisconsin State Fair – and that’s just for starters – not to mention the hundreds of new jobs we have created in Milwaukee in recent years."
The Milwaukee Business Journal reports, due to Molson Coors long history in the city, Anheuser-Busch has not been a major player in the Milwaukee market.
If you're heading to the Milwaukee Bucks game Saturday against the Houston Rockets, don't expect to drink a Coors light.
