Heineken gets pouring with Formula E as new Official Partner

Dutch beer brand Heineken has inked a new global deal with Formula E as the championship’s exclusive beer partner.

The five-year deal will see Heineken become the first Official Beer and Cider Partner of the ABB FIA Formula E Championship, whose fifth season starts with the Saudia Ad Diriyah E-prix on December 15.

Heineken will have exclusive pouring rights at all Formula E races, and will have trackside branding at E-prix in Santiago, Mexico City, Rome and New York. Previously, pouring rights were sold to local partners on a per-event basis.

As part of the deal, Heineken will also hold digital activation rights, access rights and will be able to offer live fan experiences on race days.

Gianluca Di Tondo, senior global brand director at Heineken, said: “Formula E gives Heineken an excellent opportunity to engage with current and potential millennial and Gen Z consumers in key cities around the world.

“We will do this by showing fans unexpected and interesting facets of the sport, activating strongly around a number of select E-Prix in urban settings throughout the season.

“The new partnership complements our association with Formula One, and other sponsorship platforms such as the Uefa Champions League and the Rugby World Cup, which have proven highly successful in growing our global footprint in targeted geographies.”

Heineken will also extend its ‘When You Drive, Never Drink’ awareness campaign from Formula One to Formula E.

As an Official Partner of Formula E, Heineken now sits alongside brands such as BMW, Allianz and Tag Heuer in the championship’s sponsorship hierarchy.

Swiss tech brand ABB continues as Title Sponsor, Swiss bank Julius Bär continues as the championship’s sole Global Partner, and Michelin as Technical Partner.

For more on Formula E’s sponsorship portfolio, see our analysis here: ‘ABB adds to fast-growing Formula E revenues’.