Budweiser and NFL taps China's market with partnership

San Francisco, Jan. 24,--- Budweiser and NFL China announced their strategic partnership agreement in San Francisco on Sunday ahead of the opening of the 50th Super Bowl.

The Super Bowl will start on February 7, Chinese New Year's Eve. Joe Montana, the legendary quarterback in NFL’s history, said that "this year, Super Bowl comes in the time of Chinese New Year, so in this unique way of appearance, I’d like to wish a happy Chinese New Year to all the Chinese fans."

Richard Young, managing director of NFL China, said at the ceremony that "Just like the golden Super Bowl in the Golden State, beer and football also makes a perfect match. Budweiser is devoted to bringing the top global sports games to Chinese consumers, and that’s why we are here today to celebrate the strategic partnership between Budweiser and NFL China."

According to Huang Jianxiang, a famous Chinese sports commentator, China now has over 75 million fans of the Super Bowl. "The number of the fans is still growing," said Huang.

The 49th Super Bowl was live casted in over 180 countries around the world in 25 languages. Michel Doukeris, Zone President and CEO of AB InBev Asia Pacific, said that "NFL is the most popular sports game in America, and American football is among the fastest growing sports in China in recent years. Upon the strategic partnership with NFL, we will work together to promote the unique charm of American football to more Chinese consumers."

With NFL being the most popular sports league in America, every year’s Super Bowl has become a traditional festival for Americans.

When asked whether they will bring one or two NFL teams to China during China's New Year season, Doukeris said "It's one of the possibilities."