When it comes to traditional sports, Budweiser and Anheuser-Busch are kind of already pasted all over the marketplace in most major competition, but with the supermassive growth of esports over the last years, the beer company is putting its sights on claiming further attention in the competitive gaming space. Recently, Anheuser-Busch filed a trademark for the claim of "THE OFFICIAL BEER OF ESPORTS.”
The official filing was posted on June 17, 2019 and can be found in the Trademark Electronic Search System of the US Patent and Trademark Office site. “The Official Beer of Esports” trademark was also joined by trademarks for “The Official Beer of Gaming” and “The Official Beer of Gamers,” all filed on the same day. These filings were first noted by Josh Gerben, founder of the Gerben Law Firm, which specializes in trademark law.
Anheuser-Busch has filed a trademark application for "THE OFFICIAL BEER OF ESPORTS."
— Josh Gerben (@JoshGerben) June 21, 2019
Drink and game responsibly out there...#eSports #gamers pic.twitter.com/KhZdABzcGZ
Anheuser-Busch and Budweiser have already worked fairly aggressively to dig into the entertainment space of esports. The macro brewery conglomerate was already a partner for the likes of Overwatch League, sponsor of the NBA2K League Washington Wizards team, and more. With these recent moves, the company likely aims to take a more permanent and blanket approach to establishing its place within the popular esports gaming space.
Many will likely not be fond of the effort, not to mention brow-raising at the push to put a beer label prominently in the space of entertainment generally directed at a young audience. That said, Anheuser-Busch does bring another source of money, support, and credibility to the esports arena with its recent moves, which is arguably a good thing in many ways. It remains to be seen exactly what AB InBev will do with these filings, but with esports continuing to grow exponentially year after year, more major companies will likely attempt to be further and further involved.
What are your thoughts on the Anheuser-Busch filing? Does it belong prominently in the esports space? Let us know in the comments.
Meanwhile, check out the recent episode of The GG Podcast, ValHALLa, in which Echo Fox owner Rick Fox talks extensively about the growth of esports, branding, and investors, as well as the parallels and contrasts between the esports and traditional sports space.
