Beer deal may brew fewer deals

A Belgium-based brewing company's purchase of the USA's top beermaker, Anheuser-Busch, could spell trouble for the American sports industry, sports marketing executives say.

Anheuser-Busch agreed Sunday to be bought out by InBev for $52billion.

Sports teams, TV networks and media outlets depend on A-B for advertising and promotional support. A-B is the USA's No.1 spender on sports advertising and sponsorship, dropping $218million in 2007 on sports ads, according to Nielsen Media Research and the SportsBusiness Journal. It has league or team sponsorships in the NFL, Major League Baseball, NBA, NHL, NASCAR and PGA Tour.

InBev's modus operandi is cost- and price-cutting, says Tom Pirko of Bevmark, a beverage consulting firm. As A-B's new corporate owners focus on belt-tightening and debt reduction, he predicts the company's sports spending will be slashed by a third or more. ...