BRUSSELS (BDCi) – The company behind popular brews like Stella Artois, Corona and Budweiser saw a big boost in its sales at the Brazil World Cup.
Anheuser-Busch InBev says the month-long soccer event, during which an extra 2 million barrels (or 140 million liters) were consumed, helped it earn more than expected in the second quarter.
Strength in China and Mexico also led to the exceptional gain.
The company, which happens to be the largest brewer in the world, saw even bigger numbers at the World Cup with their soft drink sales.
Accounting for more than two-thirds of their non-beer sales, Brazil is the company’s second-largest market, behind the U.S.
Top brewers around the world are relying on Latin America as well as Africa and Asia for growth, with Europe slowly recovering its consumer spending and the U.S. experiencing limited expansion.