Budweiser to end FA Cup deal

• by Soccer America , Feb 11, 2014

[SOCCER BUSINESS] The English Football Association is seeking a new sponsor for the FA Cup after Budweiser decided not to renew its deal for more than $15 million a year.

The FA confirmed it was seeking a new "lead partner" for the FA Cup as Bud's three-year deal ends after this season.

"Budweiser has embraced The FA Cup and we're grateful for their support," said the FA's commercial director, Stuart Turner. "The Cup retains a special place in English football and it remains an important competition, not just in England but across the globe. Next year, the FA Cup will move to the BBC's platforms, and we are very excited about its future."

Bud's promotional work included the sponsoring of Wembley FC, a low-level team that added soccer celebrities for its preliminary-round entrance into the cup competition.

No plans are in place to seek naming rights to the cup competition like the Barclays Premier League or Capital One Cup (League Cup).