Anheuser-Busch InBev has been synonymous with big-time sports for decades. Whether it’s paying the most to be the Super Bowl’s largest advertiser with commercials featuring Clydesdales and Dalmatians or owning Major League Baseball’s St. Louis Cardinals, the brewer’s Budweiser and Bud Light brands are ubiquitous in the sports world. Leave it to AB InBev to invest in the country’s fastest-growing sport: Pickleball.

AB InBev is poised to announce Tuesday it’s buying a Major League Pickleball franchise starting with the 2023 season. The deal gets the brewer back into the sports team ownership business; it ran the Cardinals from 1953 to 1995.

The giant brewer will join the growing list of high-powered MLP owners, including NBA superstars LeBron James and Kevin Durant, the NFL’s Tom Brady and Drew Brees, and tennis legend Kim Clijsters.

“We have already seen world-class individuals invest in teams and partnerships, and we share in their belief and excitement for the future success of this league and sport,” said Matt Davis, head of U.S. sports marketing and partnerships at AB InBev in a statement.

The agreement gives AB InBev control over one of MLP’s new expansion teams. The brewer will call the shots on everything from player drafts to team sponsors. 

During the 2023 season, MLP will expand to 16 teams from 12 teams. The new league will double its number of events to six and player prize money to over $2 million.

“Anheuser-Busch is one of the most impactful professional sport sponsors in the US, to have them join as an ownership partner is an incredible opportunity for Major League Pickleball,” said MLP founder and CEO Steve Kuhn in a statement.

“They have a unique ability in understanding the needs of fans, bringing them closer to the sport and brands they love. I can’t wait to see how this partnership will elevate both the MLP and the sport of Pickleball in the years to come.”

—Michael McCarthy is a senior writer for Front Office Sports.