Bud Light's Latest Attempt To Revive Its Brand Backfires

Bud Light's UFC Sponsorship Backfires 

In its latest attempt to dig out from its Dylan Mulvaney disaster, Anheuser-Busch (BUD) spent a rumored $100 million for Bud Light to become the official beer of the UFC. Unfortunately for Bud Light, the brand just ate a metaphorical knuckle sandwich from the promotion's most outspoken champion, Sean Strickland. 

Meet Sean Strickland 

For those unfamiliar with the UFC, Sean Strickland is an unlikely champion. He only got a shot at the title in September as a late replacement, when the number one contender backed out. Strickland then proceeded to knock down then-champion Israel Adesanya for the first time in his career, on his way to winning the title by a unanimous decision. 

Becoming the UFC Middleweight Champion didn't do anything to dampen Strickland's previous outspokenness or willingness to wade into controversy, regardless of the subject, from the Mideast conflict...

To the homeless...

Now that you have a sense of the man, let's look at what he's said about Bud Light. 

Sean Strickland Versus Bud Light

When asked on X whether he'd promote Bud Light after news of their UFC sponsorship broke, Strickland reiterated his view that transgenderism is a mental illness. 

Strickland then promised to put Bud Light on the spot during his next fight: 

Strickland then went viral with this video rant he recorded on his way to the gym, ironically congratulating Bud Light and offering to help "fix" the brand:

I am so f*cking proud of you guys for doing the right things after that f*ck up. You know how I feel about transgenders. I go f*cking hard. Just what I do. I am the biggest advocate of biological females. If I said my views on transgenders, I would get kicked off Instagram, but I cannot f*cking wait to pick up a big old f*cking Bud Light can and fix you, Bud Light because you guys are doing the right f*cking thing. I, Sean Strickland, a representation of the f*cking American people, are going to fix you Bud Light. Thank you for giving me money. Thank you for supporting my platform. I’m going to help you guys

You can watch Strickland give that soliloquy here: 

Anheuser-Busch Releases Earnings 

As we type this early Tuesday morning, Bud Light's parent has already reported its earnings from Europe, and despite missing on revenues, the stock is actually up in the pre-market. We wouldn't be surprised if it gives back those gains later, but this is an example of how hard it's been to trade this tape. 

We researched about a dozen stocks reporting after the close today or before the open tomorrow, and couldn't find one long or short candidate out of them we liked. No sense forcing anything in this market.

Today, we'll turn our attention to companies reporting after the close Wednesday. If we find anything promising to bet on or against, we'll send you an email if you're subscribed to our trading Substack/occasional email list. If you're not subscribed, you can do so below. 

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