NEW YORK, March 5, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Budweiser, the
official beer sponsor of the 2014 FIFA World Cup
Brazil™, today unveiled an all new partnership with
FOX Sports for a groundbreaking documentary series showcasing six
of the most unique football stories from around the globe. The new
series, which will air in more than 55 countries around the world,
is part of Budweiser's fully integrated, global content series
supporting its new Rise As One FIFA World
Cup™ campaign.
"The FIFA World Cup™ is such a powerful moment in
time which enables the world to join together in celebration of the
world's most popular sport," said Andrew
Sneyd, Global Vice President, Budweiser. "We are delighted
to collaborate with FOX Sports on this new series and through the
Rise As One campaign, to share the many defining
moments of football history with the millions of fans around the
globe."
The robust series of football documentaries were developed in
collaboration with FOX Sports, one of the most prominent supporters
of the sport globally and home of the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World
Cups. Leading up to the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™,
the six thirty-minute episodes celebrate humanity and perseverance
through the most powerful and uplifting stories rooted in world
football and also demonstrate how the sport inspires the world to
Rise As One. The first installment of this
series will premiere on March
25th in the U.S. and Puerto Rico on FOX Sports 1, America's new
sports network. Globally, these films will be distributed in more
than 55 countries.
"The passion and dedication that unites footballers and fans
worldwide is unrivaled, incredibly inspiring, and we are thrilled
to partner with Budweiser to help tell these stories," said
Michael Bloom, FOX Sports' Senior
Vice President of Original Programming. "We think that football
fans across the globe will enjoy this series and learn more about
how transformative and impactful the beautiful game has been."
Veteran filmmakers Scott Boggins
and Gabriel Spitzer, who have a
combined 15 Emmy Awards, joined forces to produce and direct the
Rise as One documentary series that features
exclusive interviews with football legends including FIFA World
Cup™ Champions Ronaldo and Lilian Thuram. The FOX
SPORTS ORIGINALS production premieres Tuesday, March 25 at 8:00
PM ET on FOX Sports 1, and below are brief descriptions of
the six episodes:
- Power of Unity: In Power of Unity, the
Japanese Women's national team overcame intense personal pain to
inspire their country after the 2011 tsunami and Fukushima nuclear
disaster.
- Breaking Barriers: In Breaking
Barriers, American and Iran
teams go head-to-head at the 1998 World Cup and amid volatile
politics and intense scrutiny, broke soft diplomacy on the world
stage.
- One Nation: In
One Nation, the French Men's
national team uses the 1998 World Cup to help heal the racial
splits within their nation and sport.
- Match for Peace: The story of how an exhibition
match between World Cup champions Brazil and war torn Haiti, helped lift the spirits of the island
nation during one of its darkest hours.
- Forever Heroes: Nearly 20 years after a plane
crash killed all but three men from Zambia's national team, Forever Heroes
shows how the new survivor-led club overcame tragedy to capture the
African Cup of Nations, just miles from the crash site.
- World War Truce: During a tense, frozen Christmas
in World War I, German and British soldiers held a secret
cease-fire to play a friendly soccer game.
In addition to its global partnership with FOX Sports, Budweiser
also serves as the lead partner of the Kicking + Screening Soccer
Film Festival, an annual series of soccer cultural events that
brings together football and film enthusiasts to celebrate the
beautiful game. Budweiser will debut two of its upcoming
documentary series episodes on the big screen when the festival
visits New York City from
April 8 – 11, 2014. Tickets to the
New York City festival are on sale
now at kickingandscreening.com.
For more details on Budweiser's creative content series, its
partnership with FOX Sports and the Rise As One
campaign, visit www.RiseAsOne.com.
About Budweiser & Football
Budweiser has a strong
commitment to football globally, having served as official beer
sponsor of the FIFA World Cup™ for over 25 years, and with an
ongoing commitment through the 2018 and 2022 tournaments.
About Anheuser-Busch InBev
While Budweiser will serve
as the official beer of the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil™,
Anheuser-Busch InBev will once again leverage its portfolio of
beers around the world by extending local sponsorship rights to its
leading brands in select football markets, including Brahma
(Brazil), Harbin (China), Corona (Mexico), Jupiler (Belgium and The
Netherlands), Siberian Crown (Russia), Hasseroder (Germany) and Beck's (Italy), among others.
Anheuser-Busch InBev is a publicly traded company (Euronext:
ABI) based in Leuven, Belgium,
with American Depositary Receipts on the New York Stock Exchange
(NYSE: BUD). It is the leading global brewer and one of the world's
top five consumer products companies. Beer, the original social
network, has been bringing people together for thousands of years
and our portfolio of well over 200 beer brands continues to forge
strong connections with consumers. This includes global brands
Budweiser®, Corona® and Stella Artois®; international brands
Beck's®, Leffe®, and Hoegaarden®; and local champions Bud Light®,
Skol®, Brahma®, Antarctica®, Quilmes®, Victoria®, Modelo Especial®,
Michelob Ultra®, Harbin®, Sedrin®, Klinskoye®, Sibirskaya Korona®,
Chernigivske®, and Jupiler®. Anheuser-Busch InBev's dedication to
heritage and quality originates from the Den Hoorn brewery in
Leuven, Belgium dating back to
1366 and the pioneering spirit of the Anheuser & Co brewery,
with origins in St. Louis,
USA since 1852. Geographically
diversified with a balanced exposure to developed and developing
markets, Anheuser-Busch InBev leverages the collective strengths of
its more than 150,000 employees based in 24 countries worldwide. In
2013, AB InBev realized 43.2 billion
USD revenue. The company strives to be the Best Beer Company
in a Better World. For more information, please visit:
www.ab-inbev.com.
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SOURCE Budweiser