TULSA, Okla. – Anheuser-Busch and Major League Fishing today announced that Busch Beer will serve as a primary sponsor of Major league Fishing, continuing the brand’s long-standing support of outdoor sports.
Major League Fishing - a partnership involving 24 of the world’s best anglers and Outdoor Channel, offers real-time competitive events designed to bring high-level challenges to participants and entertainment to audiences.
“We are thrilled to have Busch Beer as a sponsor of Major League Fishing. Busch Beer is an excellent brand with history of supporting outdoor sports and bass fishing, and we believe this is a good fit for our league and Busch Beer,” Major League Fishing Commissioner Don Rucks said.
“Major League Fishing is among the premier organizations for bass anglers and is a natural fit for the Busch beer brand,” said Brad Brown, vice president of sports & entertainment marketing, Anheuser-Busch. “We look forward to working with the league to introduce new and innovative activations to engage bass anglers and fishing enthusiasts nationwide.”
Busch Beer sponsors two individual anglers – Kevin VanDam and Denny Brauer – that compete in Major League Fishing. VanDam, a four-time Bassmaster Classic champion and seven-time BASS angler-of-the-year, believes that a Major League Fishing and Busch Beer “go well together.”
“Busch Beer is a great brand with an eye for things that appeal to people who like the outdoors,” VanDam said. “You couldn’t find a better match than Busch Beer and Major League Fishing.”
Major League Fishing introduced its innovative, new format in November during filming of the Challenge Cup.
Utilizing real-time leader boards in each boat and unlimited fish counts, the format forces competitors to keep up with their rivals or face elimination. Adding to the drama is the lack of any practice time or advance scouting as venues are revealed at the last moment. Competitors have called it the most intense form of fishing they’ve ever experienced.
Brauer, considered for three decades as one of the top competitors in professional fishing, said, “We have a great product in Major League Fishing, and I can’t begin to describe how intense my experience was fishing in the Challenge Cup. I’m really pleased that Busch Beer will be going forward with us as we compete in future Major League Fishing events.”