Why Guinness’ partnership with the Premier League makes plain sense

The 2024-2025 Premier League season is underway – and the competition has a new official beer. Guinness has replaced Budweiser after AbInbev opted not to renew its sponsorship earlier this year.

YouGov BrandIndex and Profiles data suggests that Guinness may well benefit from the partnership. The stout’s drinkers over-index on interest in the Premier League: 44% describe the competition as a top interest compared to 36% of beer drinkers in general.

Guinness’ Consideration scores – which measure whether consumers would consider a particular beer or cider over other brands – are 19% (tied for most-considered with Peroni and Kopparberg). Among Premier League followers, this rises to 25%, taking it above the nearest competitors Peroni (23%), San Miguel (20%), and Birra Moretti (20%). So the partnership could expose Guinness to a vast global audience, and one that is well-disposed towards it.

The Premier League, for its part, may not be mourning AbInbev’s decision to move on too much. Its deal with Guinness represents a partnership with the nation’s most-liked beer or cider brand: 39% of the public register positive Impression scores (which measure general good or bad sentiment towards a brand) towards the stout.

It also has cross-demographic appeal: along gender lines, Guinness is the most liked beer or cider brand among men (41% vs. 29% for second-ranked Peroni) and also women (37%, vs. 29% for second-ranked Kopparberg).

The stout’s recent, much-discussed social media success may also make the Premier League more attractive to the all-important 18-34 age group. Among people who say their favourite drink is beer, 19% fall into this category; this rises to 26% among beer drinkers who’ve recently bought Guinness. This isn't to say that more young people or women are going to watch top-flight football because they happen to enjoy a pint of plain, but the positive association could be beneficial to the league’s reputation.

Overall, the benefits of the £40m partnership could flow in both directions: Guinness get sustained exposure to the most watched football league on the planet – and the Premier League boosts its image with a partnership that speaks to a younger and more diverse audience.

This article originally appeared in City A.M.