Stella Artois to replace Heineken in Champions League beer switch
AB InBev has confirmed that Stella Artois will become the beer brand associated with the UEFA Champions League from July 2027, ending Heineken’s long-running presence in the competition.
AB InBev has confirmed that Stella Artois will become the official beer of the UEFA Champions League from July 2027, putting one of its principal brands at the centre of European club football’s next commercial cycle and ending Heineken’s association with the competition after more than three decades.The brewer identified Stella Artois as the brand it will use for the Champions League during its September 22 capital markets presentation, giving greater detail about how it intends to use the rights. The change follows Heineken’s confirmation that its Champions League partnership will end in August 2027.AB InBev chief marketing officer Marcel Marcondes said: “With the addition of Champions League next year, we will have not only another global moment for watching sports on weekdays, but also from Tuesdays to Thursdays, 10 months per year.”Stella Artois ambassador David Beckham also appeared during the presentation, linking the brand to a competition he played in during his career. Beckham said: “Champions League will always be very special to me, and it gave me one of the best moments of my career. It represents the pinnacle of European club football, with the most passionate fans week in and week out.”AB InBev’s choice of Stella Artois shows how the brewer intends to use the competition to develop a premium brand across international markets. Its executives described sports viewing as a priority occasion for beer sales and said they wanted major partnerships attached to brands with both established scale and room to grow.The Champions League will add a regular European club football platform to AB InBev’s sports portfolio, which includes its long-standing association with the FIFA World Cup. Unlike a single tournament, UEFA’s club competitions run across much of the year, offering repeated opportunities for campaigns tied to matches and the occasions when supporters watch them.Heineken has been a Champions League sponsor since 1994, making its departure a significant change to one of the competition’s most familiar commercial relationships. Its current agreement covers the 2024–27 cycle, while the incoming beer partnership forms part of the commercial programme being developed for UEFA men’s club competitions from 2027.The switch also reflects a wider reshaping of those rights under UC3, the joint venture involving UEFA and European Football Clubs, and its sales partner Relevent. AB InBev has now made clear which of its brands will carry the Champions League association when the new cycle begins.