Live Nation Partners With Non-Alcoholic Brewer Athletic Brewing Company

Live Nation has inked a first of its kind sponsorship with Athletic Brewing Company, America’s largest non-alcoholic brewer, for the concert promoter’s large portfolio of venues and marquee festivals including BottleRock in Napa, California and the famed Bonnaroo festival in Manchester, Tenn.

Under the terms of the three-year agreement, Athletic Brewing will serve as the official non-alcoholic beer for the company’s more than 100 venues, including the Wiltern in Los Angeles, the Paramount in Brooklyn and the Gorge Amphitheater, along with a handful of Live Nation festivals

“It’s a new category for beer — there’s domestic, import, craft and now you’ve got non-alcoholic. Our customers want that option and we know plenty of our fans will be choosing something in the non-alcoholic space, which is why we did this deal,” said Jon Landa, svp of national sales at Live Nation. “We’re seeing it across our markets, with health conscious people trying to enjoy other options. It doesn’t mean that it’s all they’re drinking, but it gives those fans a choice at a show or a festival, depending on how they want to start or finish their day.”

Alcohol sales have slowed in recent years as Generation Z (those born between 1997 and 2012) turns 21 and begins attending concerts — club owner David Slutes with Congress Club in Tuscon, Arizona, told Billboard in 2023 that concerts catering to a younger Gen Z audience saw a 25% dip in alcohol sales compared to those targeting older demographics. The decline — blamed in part on the growing prevalence of cannabis edible products and healthier attitudes about mental and physical well-being — could have a significant impact on a concert venue’s revenue stream.

Since late 2023, Live Nation has worked to diversify the revenue it generates at its bars and restaurants by introducing non-alcoholic options like mocktails. By partnering with the eight-year-old Athletic Brewing Company, Live Nation is teaming up with the country’s fastest-growing non-alcoholic beer maker. Since opening its first brewery in 2018, Athletic has grown to become the 10th largest U.S. craft brewery and 20th largest overall U.S. brewing company, despite only offering nonalcoholic options, according to rankings by the Brewers Association. Athletic holds over 19% market share within nonalcoholic beer and is driving 32% of total nonalcoholic beer category growth, according to NielsenIQ data.

A recent study by Live Nation found that 70% of live music fans saying they want more beverage options at concerts. As part of the agreement, legal drinking age music fans can purchase one of four of Athletic’s most popular brews — Run Wild IPA, Upside Dawn Golden, Free Wave Hazy IPA, and Athletic Lite, with selections varying by venue. While Athletic does offer draft beer options in 30 states, the Live Nation partnership applies only to canned beer drinks.

“There’s a big time intersection between the fan of live music and the fan of Athletic and NA beer,” said Andrew Katz, chief marketing officer at Athletic Brewing Company. “It’s a shared love of live events, a shared love of well being and a shared love of beer. You put those three things together, and it just made sense for us to work together and try and get something done together.”