Insights Esports Observer reports that the brewer, Anheuser-Busch InBev, has applied to register the trade mark THE OFFICIAL BEER OF ESPORTS in the USA

Esports Observer has reported that the head of US Sports Marketing at Anheuser-Busch, Nick Kelly, said that the brewer had recently applied to register THE OFFICIAL BEER OF ESPORTS “because it saw an opportunity to leverage the fractured nature of the space to try to own it for the company”. Esports Observer says that the brewer has also filed for THE OFFICIAL BEER OF GAMERS and THE OFFICIAL BEER OF GAMING.

According to Esports Observer, Mr Kelly said: “The sport is so fractured. It’s not like the NFL; I could never be the official beer of the NFL without doing a deal with them. But no one owns esports, so it’s an opportunity for us to come in there and create a space that we can play in that transcends everything from Call of Duty to, 2K League or Overwatch League.

Mr Kelly told Esports Observer that Anheuser-Busch intends to use the phrase for mainly digital advertising as well as potentially at retail. He admitted he is getting a lot of pitches from various esports entities for sponsorship, but that more are from teams than leagues. To read Esports Observer’s articles in full, click here and here.