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AB InBev SABMiller Marketing

AB InBev closer to landmark merger with SABMiller as shareholders accept $103bn bid

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By John McCarthy, Opinion Editor

September 28, 2016 | 2 min read

SABMiller’s shareholders have approved a potential takeover from drinks rival Anheuser Busch InBev (AB InBev) in what could form one of the world’s largest mergers ever.

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The revised deal follows SABMiller rejecting a $79bn bid from AB InBev in July, with the latter now looking to offer as much as $103bn.

A total of 95 per cent of SABMilller shareholders approved the bid.

On this AB InBev chief executive Carlos Brit said: “We are pleased that our shareholders' vote brings us one step closer to combining our companies, teams, strong heritage and passion for brewing.”

If the pair merge, a very lengthy list of brands including AB InBev’s Bud Light, Budweiser, Corona, Stella Artois, Beck’s, Leffe, Hoegaarden, Skol, Brahma and Oculto, and SABMiller’s Tyskie, Strongbow, Pilsen, Peroni, Miller, Grolsch, Foster’s, to mention a few, will fall under the same banner (see the full list here).

The merger would create a drinks behemoth with global superiority likely to give rise to anti-competition issues. To get around this, BBC News is reporting that AB InBev is courting the sale of Peroni, Grolsch and Meantime brands to Tokyo-based drinks company Asahi.

AB InBev SABMiller Marketing

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