NBC Universal and Anheuser-Busch Announce Ground-Breaking Advertising Partnership With NBC's 'Saturday Night Live'

NBC Universal and Anheuser-Busch Announce Ground-Breaking Advertising Partnership With NBC's 'Saturday Night Live'

Anheuser-Busch Selects the Legendary Late Night Show to Launch its Latest Brand Bud Light Golden Wheat Sponsorship Includes Never-Before-Aired "SNL" Footage

NEW YORK, Oct. 15 /PRNewswire/ -- NBC Universal and Anheuser-Busch announced a comprehensive sponsorship in which Bud Light Golden Wheat will be the exclusive sponsor of the legendary late night show "Saturday Night Live" on Saturday, October 17, purchasing all network commercial time within the broadcast. The sponsorship will have several unique components featuring "Backstage with Bud Light Golden Wheat," a series of never-before-aired clips from "SNL" throughout the years. This is the first time in the history of "SNL"'s 35 seasons that a single advertiser has purchased all of the show's national advertising time.

As part of the promotion, "SNL" will feature highlights from "SNL" viewing parties that will be hosted by Bud Light Golden Wheat across the country on October 17.

The sponsorship is part of Anheuser-Busch's overall campaign to launch its new brand, Bud Light Golden Wheat, which hit store shelves nationwide on October 5.

"Anheuser-Busch has supported 'Saturday Night Live' since the early days of the show. We are very happy Bud Light Golden Wheat has chosen 'SNL' for this event," said Lorne Michaels, Executive Producer, "Saturday Night Live."

"This first-of-a-kind sponsorship of 'Saturday Night Live' by Bud Light Golden Wheat perfectly illustrates the kind of deal we mean when we talk about wanting to innovate with our clients," said Mike Pilot, President, NBC Universal Ad Sales. "We are thrilled to be able to offer this opportunity -- that includes such a compelling mix of exclusive content -- to a company such as Anheuser-Busch."

"We were looking for a unique way to highlight Bud Light Golden Wheat's launch and the opportunity to integrate the brand into 'Saturday Night Live' was one too good to pass up," said Keith Levy, vice president, marketing, Anheuser-Busch, Inc. "During the episode, we are able to incorporate Bud Light Golden Wheat authentically as part of the show's content, offer at-home viewers unprecedented backstage access during regular commercial slots and, at the same time, generate talk value among contemporary adult beer drinkers."

Bud Light Golden Wheat marks the third brand extension under the Bud Light name, offering light beer drinkers options suitable for diverse palates and drinking occasions with the quality -- and drinkability -- they expect from the world's best-selling light beer.

About NBC Universal:

NBC Universal is one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies in the development, production, and marketing of entertainment, news, and information to a global audience. NBC Universal owns and operates a valuable portfolio of news and entertainment networks, a premier motion picture company, significant television production operations, a leading television stations group, and world-renowned theme parks. NBC Universal is 80% owned by General Electric and 20% owned by Vivendi.

About Anheuser-Busch:

Based in St. Louis, AnheuserBusch is the leading American brewer, holding a 49.2 percent share of U.S. beer sales. The company brews the world's largest-selling beers, Budweiser and Bud Light. AnheuserBusch also owns a 50 percent share in Grupo Modelo, Mexico's leading brewer. Anheuser-Busch ranked No. 1 among beverage companies in FORTUNE Magazine's Most Admired Global Companies list in 2009. AnheuserBusch is a major manufacturer of aluminum cans and one of the world's largest recyclers of aluminum cans. The company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Anheuser-Busch InBev, the leading global brewer, and continues to operate under the Anheuser-Busch name and logo. For more information, visit www.anheuser-busch.com.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: NBC Universal

CONTACT: Kathy Kelly-Brown, NBC Universal, +1-212-664-3457,
Kathy.Kelly-brown@nbcuni.com; or Greg Phillips, Anheuser-Busch,
+1-314-753-5859, Gregory.Phillips@anheuser-busch.com

Web Site: http://www.anheuser-busch.com/

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Profile: International Entertainment