SABMiller nets World Cup Castle beer contract
BREWER SABMiller will provide beer at fan parks during the 2010 World Cup, after reaching an agreement with the organisers of the tournament in South Africa.
The decision will enable SABMiller’s South Africa unit to sell between 8-10m beers.
SABMiller’s spokesman Nigel Fairbrass said: “We will be supplying Castle Lager and Castle Lite in the fan zones and there will be some level of product identification on the packaging.”
The decision follows World Cup sponsor Anheuser-Busch InBev’s Budweiser giving up some of its rights at fan parks as part of a strategic decision to focus its beer presence in stadiums at this year’s finals.
Budweiser is one of the main sponsors of the football spectacular, giving it exclusive rights to sell beer at Fifa venues, while rival SABMiller is the biggest supplier to the local market.
Organisers expect more than 400,000 foreign fans in South Africa for the tournament which starts on 11 June while tens of thousands of local supporters are expected to watch games at fan parks across the country. SABMiller is putting in place measures to ensure that there is enough capacity to supply beer to the country during the tournament.
It said it would increase its brewing in April and May to stockpile beer for the event which will attract fans from across the globe.