Netflix and AB InBev are teaming up to bring beer brands directly into the streaming experience, both on-screen and off. This new global partnership spans title integrations, co-branded activations, event sponsorships, and even NFL ad buys. It marks one of the most expansive commercial tie-ups in Netflix’s history.
For marketers, the deal signals a strategic blending of content, commerce, and culture. It is a bet that branded entertainment does not have to live in pre-roll ads or social clips. Instead, it can live inside the shows and moments people already love.
This article explores how the partnership works, where it’s headed, and what it reveals about the next evolution of content-driven marketing.
Short on time?
Here is a table of content for quick access:
- What’s the deal between Netflix and AB InBev?
- Why this matters for branded content strategy
- What marketers should know
Patrecia Meliana
What’s the deal between Netflix and AB InBev?
Netflix and AB InBev have struck a multi-region agreement that merges entertainment with experiential beer marketing. The collaboration includes:
- Title-level brand integrations across Netflix originals like The Gentlemen (UK), Brasil 70 (Brazil), and Culinary Class Wars (South Korea)
- Co-marketing and consumer campaigns, including limited-edition packaging and digital promotions for fans of legal drinking age
- Live event sponsorships, such as Cerveza Victoria’s role in the Canelo vs. Crawford fight in Mexico
- Ad placements during live Netflix events, including the 2025 NFL Christmas game and the 2027 Women’s World Cup
Both companies described the deal as a way to connect with audiences through shared interests in sports, music, food, and comedy.
Patrecia Meliana
Why this matters for branded content strategy
This partnership is not just another sponsorship. It introduces a new scale and scope for branded entertainment and offers a few key lessons for marketers:
- Entertainment is now a full-funnel channel
AB InBev is not just buying ad slots. It is embedding its brands into the stories and cultural moments audiences care about. This reflects a shift from top-of-funnel exposure to immersive, narrative-driven brand presence.
Patrecia Meliana
- Global localization is the new norm
By aligning with country-specific Netflix titles, AB InBev is executing local storytelling on a global platform. Marketers can take cues from this approach to balance brand consistency with regional relevance.
- Streaming platforms are becoming event-based ad ecosystems
With Netflix hosting live events like the NFL Christmas game and major sports tournaments, it is positioning itself as more than just a streaming service. For marketers, streamers are evolving into hybrid media and experiential platforms.
What marketers should know
The Netflix x AB InBev deal offers more than just a flashy partnership. It reflects a broader shift in how brands can show up in entertainment, not as sponsors but as storytellers. Here are four takeaways marketers should keep in mind:
- Think beyond product placement
This is not a basic label-on-a-table moment. Marketers should consider how their brand’s values and aesthetics can fit into a story, not just show up in the background.
- Target fandoms, not just demos
Netflix and AB InBev are aligning with fan-driven genres like food, sports, and action. Instead of relying only on traditional demographics, marketers can segment audiences based on cultural passions and behaviors.
- You do not need Netflix to do this
While few brands can ink a global Netflix deal, the approach is replicable. Look for crossover opportunities between content, community, and consumption in your niche.
- Prepare for converging media formats
From programmatic ads to content partnerships and live events, modern campaigns are no longer linear. Marketers need to build flexible media plans that reflect this mixed-format reality.
Netflix and AB InBev are pushing branded content into new territory. This is a model for how culture, commerce, and content can intersect in ways that go beyond traditional ad buys.
As streamers expand their commercial offerings and consumers lean into experience-driven media, marketers should take note. The next big brand moment might not come between shows. It might be part of the show itself.
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