Wortley Today The latest headlines from the UK
London, England – Two brewing giants are locked in a multi-million pound battle to become the next official beer partner of the Premier League. According to Sky News, Guinness, owned by FTSE-100 drinks behemoth Diageo, and Heineken have submitted rival bids to replace Budweiser at the end of the current season.
Premier League clubs were briefed last week on the interest from both breweries. Sources claim Guinness’ proposal could be worth tens of millions of pounds over a three-year deal, significantly outstripping Heineken’s initial offer. However, the Dutch brewing giant has reportedly been invited to submit a revised bid.
Budweiser, owned by brewing conglomerate AB InBev, has held the Premier League sponsorship for the past five years, also serving as a principal sponsor for the FA Cup. Traditionally, Guinness has been more closely associated with rugby union, acting as the title sponsor of the Premiership until 2010 and currently maintaining ties with the Six Nations tournament. Heineken, on the other hand, enjoyed a long tenure as the title sponsor of Europe’s elite club rugby competition.
The Premier League is expected to finalize a deal with one of the competing breweries in the coming weeks. Both the Premier League and Diageo declined to comment, while Heineken has yet to respond to requests for a statement.
