• Loading stock data...
Tuesday, September 9, 2025
Tuned In is Almost Sold Out! Limited Tickets Remain!

Michelob ULTRA Grows its Brand Alongside Brooks Koepka

michelob-ultra-brooks-koepka
Photo Credit: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports
michelob-ultra-brooks-koepka

Photo Credit: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports

In April 2017, Michelob ULTRA announced a partnership with a 26-year-old golfer. At the time, he’d missed four of his last six cuts in stroke play events and had just one PGA Tour victory, coming in 2015.

Since then, Brooks Koepka’s career has popped off. Michelob’s gambit paid off.

Over the last 25 months, Koepka has won three major championships – the 2017 U.S. Open, 2018 U.S. Open and 2018 PGA Championship. He also won the CJ Cup last October. He’s held the World No. 1 ranking four times for a total of nine weeks. In 2018, he was the PGA Tour Player of the Year.

Before Koepka attempts to defend his PGA Championship and U.S. Open titles in the next two months, Michelob ULTRA rolled out the red carpet – well, actually a barge in the Hudson River – for Koepka. On Monday, the now-29-year-old was given a chance to win free beer for New Yorkers. He would take three shots off of the Governors Island Outlook Hill in Lower Manhattan, needing one ball to land on a moving green roughly 120 yards away.

Koepka dunked his second shot onto the barge.

“I think this is probably one of the more difficult shots I’ve hit,” he chuckled. “It’s windy, it’s cold. You’re up at elevation. It was a great shot. I’m glad I did it. I’m glad I got everybody beer.”

Getting everybody beer is a loose way to put it. On May 16, the first day of the PGA Championship at Bethpage Black on Long Island, consumers in NYC will be able to get a $5 rebate on Michelob ULTRA 6-packs, as well as a free Michelob ULTRA at select bars in the city from 3-6 p.m. 

From a business perspective, Anheuser-Busch deserves more credit than striking gold by dumb luck (necessary disclosure: AB InBev is a partner of Front Office Sports). There was a reason for signing Koepka in the first place. In a sport with a lengthy tradition of staging an equal playing field for individuals of all shapes and sizes, Michelob ULTRA needed a spokesman who fit the low-calorie, low-carb beer. Koepka, a chiseled 20-something-year-old who values his fitness, was a prime choice.

“We were looking for somebody who really embodies the spirit of our brand, someone who cares about their health and wellness and being fit and being active as a big part of who they are,” recalls Azania Andrews, Vice President of Marketing for Michelob ULTRA at Anheuser-Busch. 

Koepka grew up in South Florida and went to Florida State, a state that Andrews describes as an important territory for ULTRA. Now, as travels the world playing golf, he frequently Instagrams from the gym with friend and fellow golfer Dustin Johnson. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/BugwbpHnVc7/?utm_source=ig_embed

“The brand they have, staying fit, it’s exactly what I try to embody as an athlete and as a golfer,” Koepka says. “I think it’s a perfect relationship. The way that they carry themselves, the attitude that they have towards lifestyle, it’s something you can enjoy yourself, but still be fit. That’s exactly what I try to do.”

Sponsors don’t have the same scouting departments as front offices in team sports. Michelob ULTRA’s timing with Koepka is as textbook a brand success story as you can find. The company brings in a young, unproven athlete who goes on to become one of the top stars in his sport. Were it not for Tiger Woods’ legendary comeback at this year’s Masters, Koepka might have had four majors by this point. 

“He was somebody with a lot of skill, a lot of potential, but was maybe not recognized as the sort of leader that he’s become,” Andrews says. “What’s been interesting is as he’s risen, our brand has risen in terms of business and prominence and wealth, as well. So we feel he’s a perfect match for us.”

Michelob ULTRA wanted health and wellness. They got that — and three majors and counting.

“When you have somebody who is as good as he is and playing as well as he plays, partnered with you, it helps us drive awareness, and it helps us remain relevant in the sport,” Andrews says. “It attracts a new group of drinkers. We hope to work with him for a long time and find all sorts of interesting things to do.”

On May 16, that crowd will be New Yorkers who are unable to make the commute out to Bethpage but neverteheless are captivated by Koepka’s skills.

Meanwhile, Koepka hopes to celebrate a major with Michelob ULTRA for the fourth time that Sunday.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Sep 7, 2025; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills fans react during the fourth quarter against the Baltimore Ravens at Highmark Stadium.

As Bills Ascend, Their Next Frontier Lies in Canada

Buffalo and the powerful Canadian entity MLSE come together in a new pact.
opinion

The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly from NFL’s Week 1 Broadcasts

Many viewers decried the addition of ads to “NFL RedZone.”
Aug 23, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) leads the team onto the field for warm ups before a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium.

Slow Burn: The NFL’s Private-Equity Era So Far

Three deals have been struck to date. But the league is bullish.
Tennis

The US Open Is Groaning Under the Weight of Its Own Success

New York’s tennis major is more popular than ever.

Featured Today

Dec 21, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) gets ready to take the field prior to a game against the Houston Texans at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.

How Brazil Game Fits Into NFL’s Plans for World Domination

Friday night’s Chiefs-Chargers game in São Paulo is big by design.
Oct 13, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) and wide receiver A.J. Brown (11) celebrate their touchdown pass during the second quarter against the Cleveland Browns at Lincoln Financial Field.
September 2, 2025

TV Ratings Just Changed Again. The NFL Will Be the Big Winner

Nielsen’s new viewership system will have a big impact on sports.
Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) celebrates with offensive lineman Donovan Jackson (74) after a touchdown catch against Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the first quarter during the College Football Playoff National Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on January 20, 2025.
August 30, 2025

The Most Expensive Roster Year in College Football History

The House settlement created revenue-sharing—and a big NIL loophole.
August 26, 2025

‘You’re Going to Get Beat Up’: The Liberty’s All-Male Practice Squad

A select group suits up weekly to take on the defending champs.

How Rolex Paved the Way for Luxury’s Love Affair With Tennis

“It’s almost impossible to think about tennis without thinking about Rolex.”
Athlos
May 4, 2025

Nike Wants to Pull Off the First Women’s Sub-4:00 Mile

Experts speak on whether Nike’s “moonshot” is realistic or a gimmick.
Jul 19, 2024; Phoenix, Ariz., United States; Sheryl Swoopes hosts a WBNA All-Star brunch in honor of her former teammate, Nikki McCray Penson, at Thea in Phoenix on July 19, 2024
May 12, 2025

Sheryl Swoopes: A’ja Wilson Shoe Campaign Shows Nike Sea Change

Nike released the Air Swoopes in 1995.
Sponsored

How World Series Champ Dexter Fowler Became a Premier League Team Owner

Dexter Fowler discusses navigating retirement and embracing new roles as an owner & investor.
Apr 12, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; MLB umpire Ron Kulpa (46) calls a third strike during a game between the Cleveland Guardians and the Kansas City Royals at Progressive Field
May 4, 2025

Pro Refs Get Offered Free Lasik for Better Calls. Some Took It

Some pro officials have sprung for the offer for free corrective surgery.
January 15, 2025

State Farm Cancels Planned Super Bowl Ad Amid California Fires Controversy

State Farm’s Super Bowl ad last year featured Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito.
Nov 25, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; From left: Scott Van Pelt, Ryan Clark, Jason Kelce and Marcus Spears on the ESPN Monday Night Football Countdown set before the game between the Baltimore Ravens and the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium.
December 17, 2024

A ‘Wave’ of Sports Content Is Coming to TikTok

The next generation is consuming sports in a different way.
Apr 7, 2022; Augusta, Georgia, USA; Rory McIlroy (left) and Brooks Koepka set up to putt on no. 9 during the first round of The Masters golf tournament.
exclusive
November 27, 2024

PGA Tour vs. LIV Golf TV ‘Showdown’ Will Pay Out $10M Crypto..

Two golfers from each tour will face off in Las Vegas.