The Cleveland Cavaliers have announced a new multi-year agreement with long-time partner Budweiser to become the "Official Beer of the Cleveland Cavaliers." The partnership will connect passionate Cavs fans with Budweiser's iconic brand through unique fan engagement and innovative digital activations.
"For more than 20 years, we have enjoyed a wonderful relationship with Budweiser and we are proud to grow our partnership with new and bigger opportunities that showcase the Budweiser brand to Cavs fans using engaging social, digital, and music platforms," said Kerry Bubolz, president, business operations for the Cavaliers Operating Companies.
The Championship-level partnership includes a new entitlement designation to one of the premier hospitality spaces at Quicken Loans Arena. The Budweiser Penthouse Suite, perched at the top of the arena bowl, offers a panoramic view of the on-court action and is considered one of the best locations in the arena to watch a Cavs game. The all-inclusive space will serve as the destination for surprise and delight activation inside and outside of the arena.
The partnership supports Budweiser's music and entertainment platform through many levels of participation, as Budweiser will now be the official presenter of:
- Halftime at Cavs home games
- The Cavs DJ, Steph Floss, and a collection of postgame concerts as part of Budweiser's extensive music platform
Nights of Cheers to "The King of Beers!"
The first Budweiser takeover night took place on January 21st at the Cavs vs. LA Clippers game at Quicken Loans Arena. The takeover night saw the Cavs surprise fans outside The Q with an ultimate Cavs game experience that featured unique digital and social activation throughout the arena.
The January 21st takeover included a number of surprise and delight experiences:
- A visit to a downtown Cleveland bar to surprise six random fans with a limo ride to the arena and tickets to watch the night's matchup from the Budweiser Penthouse Suite
- A Budweiser Check-In Zone where fans 21+ were prompted to scan a special QR code using the camera on their mobile device to win a Budweiser-themed prize. Six randomly selected winners were escorted to the Budweiser Penthouse to watch the remainder of the game.
- Budweiser Beaconing throughout the arena utilized state-of-the-art technology to deliver an enter-to-win form to fan's mobile devices for a Budweiser-themed promotional item.
- One lucky fan from the Budweiser Penthouse was chosen to participate in a Budweiser maze game utilizing the Cavs' dynamic 3D court projection technology. The maze game marked the first time the Cavs' court projection technology was used in conjunction with a partner-related promotion. The contestant won a new Budweiser refrigerator and Beats by Dr. Dre headphones courtesy of Budweiser.