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Vineet Sharma, VP of marketing and trade marketing at AB InBev India
Considering the almost-religious status of cricket in India, most brand collaborations surrounding the sport are either centred on the cricket matches themselves or on the many players who enjoy the massive celebrity that comes with playing for the country.
Case in point: Apollo Tyres, Campa (Reliance’s new soft-drink brand), and Atomberg Technologies pay hefty sponsorship fees to display their logos on team jerseys, and ground and perimeter hoardings, respectively, while players like Virat Kohli endorse aspirational brands such as Audi India and Puma.
“Cricket advertising or cricket associations have been very practical, focusing a lot on hero worship of the players. Whereas our angle is a lot more in the service of the fans,” says Vineet Sharma, VP of marketing and trade marketing at AB InBev India, while addressing the new global partnership between the brewing company and the International Cricket Council (ICC).
It is a two-year partnership set to begin in 2026 with the World Cup matches. As the new 'Official Beer Partner', different brands under AB InBev (Budweiser, Corona, Hoegaarden, etc.) will collaborate with ICC in different countries. In particular, Budweiser will be partnering with the Indian cricket operations of ICC.
What will the collaboration entail?
While the specifics of the collaboration have deliberately been kept under wraps to create anticipation, Kartikeya Sharma, president, AB InBev India, says, “Our ambition is to elevate every cricket moment, from the roar in the stands to the chants in living rooms, and shine the spotlight on the fans who make the game iconic.”
"Together with the ICC, we will deliver world-class experiences that make cricket celebrations unmistakably Budweiser, proudly, responsibly, and always in the hands of those who make the moment matter," he adds.
Vineet Sharma elaborates further by adding that all the on-ground and digital activities by the brand will be “premium activations” that will be immersive in nature, inspired by the collaborations AB InBev has done with other international sporting associations like the Olympics, FIFA, NBA, etc.
“We have been very fortunate to work with FIFA, and at the Olympics. So we have understood how premium experiences are created. And we want to give similar experiences to our fans here in India, especially with cricket," reveals Sharma.
While the logo placements and in-stadium activations will also be included in the partnership, Sharma places a lot of emphasis on in-home and bar activations. “Sports are enjoyed in stadiums, so you will see in-stadium activations. Sports are also enjoyed at home, so we have a lot of in-home activations.”
Acknowledging the communal act of watching sports in bars, Sharma says, “People go to bars to consume brands and sports”—both places where Budweiser and cricket can come together. Hence, "our brand will be activating a lot here."
“We believe with the experiential economy, now everyone wants to experience things, so that's where we come in. We will elevate on-ground activations to match this expectation.”
In addition to interactive fan activities, special edition products and packaging will also be launched to ensure a complete 360° marketing blitz.
Surrogate advertising? No, thank you
It is also to be noted that while most alcohol brands attempt surrogate advertising using a non-alcoholic product to push brand recognition amidst prohibitive regulations, Budweiser wants to steer the other way.
The American brewery does target “NDAs (new drinking adults) between 21 and 25 years” since “the first alcohol people try is beer" and the brand wants it to be Budweiser beer.
However, since the brand has seen a lot of demand for non-alcoholic beer, Sharma claims that they are collaborating with the ICC through their Budweiser 0.0 (non-alcoholic beer) not as a surrogate but as “a genuine brand extension."
Why now?
Why was the brewing company associated with all kinds of sports but not cricket in its 150 years of existence? The answer may not be what you expect.
2026 is an important year for the brand. AB InBev and Budweiser’s first-ever cricket collaboration in the world will coincide with the 20th anniversary of Budweiser in India.
The brand will also complete 150 years globally in 2026. Additionally, AB InBev will mark four decades of partnership with the FIFA World Cup the same year.
“Now we have earned the rights to associate with cricket," says Sharma, explaining the timing.
India is Budweiser's “third largest market" outside its home turf (USA), and "we're not only talking about urban India. A lot of new cities are coming up with 10 lakh+ populations where alcohol consumption, and bigger Western brand awareness is common," notes Sharma.
“Our grand purpose is all about celebrating iconic moments, and no celebration in India is as iconic as the sport of cricket," he adds.
Marrying beer with cricket outside India
Beer goes hand-in-hand with sports like football in the West. AB InBev wants to use ICC’s international reach to "take their coverage to multiple countries of the world” and create an association between beer and cricket.
In addition to India, countries such as South Africa, the UK, USA and even China will be chartered in this partnership.
It’s a global hat-trick for AB InBev. Just like it's partnership with the ICC, the alcohol giant has collaborations with the Olympics, FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association), the NBA (American National Basketball Association), Wimbledon (the English tennis tournament) and Roland-Garros (the French tennis tournament), which are all global in nature, giving the brand opportunities for recognition across borders.
While Sharma refrains from discussing the substantial financial benefits of the partnership, he confirms that “It's a very, very good deal,” deeming it commensurate.
Having finally “earned” its place in cricket, AB InBev is now attempting to prove that a beer and a bat can be a truly iconic pairing worldwide.
By collaborating with the ICC during a triple milestone year, AB InBev is not just acquiring a sponsorship asset; it's trying to align itself with India's most powerful cultural force to drive global brand extension.
