A row is frothing up over beer supplies for the 2010 Fifa World Cup.
The Mail & Guardian understands that World Cup sponsor Budweiser is unlikely to take up its rights as the official sole supplier of beer to the 10 World Cup fan parks to be set up in South Africa’s nine host cities. Shameel Ho-Kim, Cape Town’s coordinator for the Fifa fan fest, said it did not appear that Budweiser would exercise its rights.
Industry insiders said that the United States brewer did not have the capacity to supply the entire World Cup. This potentially clears the way for local beer giant SABMiller to step in.
SABMiller spokesperson Nigel Fairbrass said: “Selling our beers in the World Cup fan zones would be a very attractive opportunity for SAB should Budweiser decide not to take up its rights in that regard.”
But an industry source told the M&G this week that to protect Budweiser’s investment in the tournament as official sponsor, Fifa planned to insist that all non-Budweiser beer sold at the fan parks should be unbranded.
An industry source said that SABMiller was unlikely to agree to supply its beer under such conditions: “Consumers want to know what they are drinking.”
The source also underscored fans’ angry reaction to Budweiser’s monopoly at the 2006 World Cup in Germany, suggesting this may have influenced the company’s decision not to exercise its rights this year.
Berlin university student Johannes Schnitter set up a website, dubbed BudOut, for the posting of unflattering messages about Budweiser. Schnitter referred to the American brew as “dishwater” and its exclusive rights as “an insult to beer lovers, taste buds and football fans”.