The Washington Commanders are facing pushback from some fans after announcing they renewed their partnership with Anheuser-Busch, making Bud Light the official beer partner of the team.
Anheuser-Busch had terminated its partnership with the Commanders in 2022, but is now back with the team following a change in ownership as Josh Harris took control last month.
Why the team and Anheuser-Busch partnered up once again following the split was unclear
“We are thrilled to partner with Anheuser-Busch again to create a new and improved experience for Commanders fans,” President of the Washington Commanders Jason Wright said in a statement. “Bringing Anheuser-Busch back to FedExField as a partner not only reflects their confidence in our organization, but also their commitment to our fans, who are the most loyal in NFL.”
Nevertheless, fans seemed to be mixed about the news. Bud Light has been engulfed in controversy after it partnered with transgender influencer and activist Dylan Mulvaney earlier this year.
The brand and company faced backlash from many people who called for boycotts of the once-popular beer.
Bud Light has seen a decline in sales over the past few months.
“Woke team goes with woke beer, makes sense,” one user on X, formerly Twitter, wrote in response to a post promoting the partnership.
“This has got to be the worst marketing move ever! Here, I thought this new ownership was going to do things differently. Nope, right back to the same backward thinking!” another commenter wrote.
Reunited with @budlight?
Now that’s easy to celebrate 🍻 pic.twitter.com/JJ0fTo2Iqs
— Washington Commanders (@Commanders) August 17, 2023
The reactions weren’t all negative.
In response to the detractors, one user on X wrote: “I’ve never seen so many grown men cry about a sponsorship. Keep making moves @Commanders.”
The announcement comes days after a group called the Native American Guardian’s Association (NAGA) had started a petition to have the team change its name back to the Redskins.
NAGA President Eunice Davidson also weighed in on the Commanders’ partnership with the beer brand.“The Woke, Cancel-Culture loving Commanders have no intention of respecting America and instead are pushing their own DEI [Diversity, Equity and Inclusion] agenda against their own consumers’ outrage shown in the #ReclaimTheRedskins petition,” Davidson said in a statement.
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