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AB is running it back with its megabrand and megaplatform strategy in 2026, looking to "invest even more to win," vp of business wholesaler development Bob Tallett declared to open up AB's virtual distributor equity agreement manager (EAM) meeting this afternoon. Now "over 90%" of its resources are placed behind its consistent megabrands, led by Mich Ultra, plus Busch Light, Cutwater and NUTRL in flavor, Stella and Kona Big Wave in High End beer, and Bud Light and Bud in core. Since 2022, live sports spend will have grown 3X by next yr, with summer spend up 1.75X and Spanish language spend quintupling in that time, cco Kyle Norrington shared. Co increased its media spend more than top competitors combined since 2022 and currently has 5 of the top 10 brands in media. In 2025 AB "invested more in our brands than ever before" and "in 2026 we will do it again as part of our multi-year plan," he added. Mich Ultra and Busch Light continue to post the top 2 gains of any beer brands. AB remains "one of the fastest growing" spirits cos with Cutwater especially picking up steam lately, growing more than 100% in the last 5 wks. AB was "the leader in innovation" with Busch Light Apple and Mich Ultra Zero as the two largest new brands thru 1st half of 2025. Renewed focus in on premise helped Mich Ultra, Big Wave, Mango Cart and Busch Light tap handle distribution reach new "all time highs" this year. And now that branding, flavor lineup and "incredible roster of partners" are in place on Phorm Energy, co has plans in place to make it a "top energy drink in 2026," said Kyle.Mich Ultra Firing on All Cylinders; Ultra Zero a "Strategic Brand Extension" Mich Ultra is now posting the #1 brand spend in America after upping media spend 1.5X in the past 2 yrs, cco Kyle Norrington highlighted. That's as Ultra's posting the largest growth in the US of any beer brand and became the #1 draft beer brand this yr. Ultra grew share in all 50 states this yr, doubling from 4 share to 8 share over the past 10 yrs, he added. "No brand has ever had more fuel" heading into 2026, Kyle declared, with Olympics, US-based World Cup and other massive megaplatforms at its back.Mich Ultra Zero already has 13 share of the US non-alc beer category, "but there's still a lot of room to grow" this "strategic brand extension," said Kyle. It hit $32 mil in sales off of 1 mil cases YTD thru Aug 10 in Circana MULC data, soaring up the ranks among top NA brands. Non-alc beer category is 1 share of volume in the US but already over 4 share in mkts like Canada, Kyle added, underscoring future oppy for the category and AB's leading NA beer portfolio.Busch Light "Hitting the Gas" with Natl Media; "We're Onto Something" with Extensions Busch Light is growing in every region and adding fuel to the fire with Apple and Lime extensions this yr. With consistent pillars of NASCAR, country music, farming/ranching, and hunting/fishing, co's "hitting the gas with national media" on Busch Light in 2026, Kyle shared, as these "platforms resonate well beyond" brand's core Midwest stronghold mkts. Recall, Busch Light Apple sold 1.75 mil cases in scans in its limited window. Then too, 60% of Bapple households were new to the Busch Light brand fam. And Busch Light Lime rate of sale was "even higher" than Bapple in "multiple states." So "we're onto something big," said Kyle.Cutwater Will Get 2X Media Spend for Rest of 2025; NUTRL Official Seltzer of FIFA World Cup AB's leaning into Cutwater as brand caught fire lately, planning to double media in Cutwater "for the remainder of this year," Kyle shared. Plans for 2026 are "strong" too, he assured. NUTRL is still posting 25% growth this year, solidifying itself as the #2 spirits-based seltzer and the only one growing among top 5 brands. And NUTRL will be the "official hard seltzer sponsor of the FIFA World Cup."Stella Stickin' with Beckham and Damon for Football, Holiday Ads; Big Wave Media +30% Stella got more natl media spend this year than it had in the last 10, and it has more to come on new ads with David Beckham and Matt Damon for football season and the holidays as part of co's top High End bets, Kyle assured. Its other High End megabrand, Kona Big Wave has grown for the last 36 consecutive mos. So AB will continue to fuel Big Wave with a 30% media increase."Confident"; Capitalize on Momentum with Stronger, Simplified Portfolio for "Sustainable Performance for Years to Come" Across the board, the message was clear and consistent from top AB execs: continue to capitalize on the momentum it's gained industrywide this year. The portfolio is "stronger" and "more simplified." And that makes ceo Brendan Whitworth and co "confident in the direction of the business."

AB Sees "Green Shoots" and "Early Indications" It's "Moving in the Right Direction"; Investing "Even More" in Megabrands

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