The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

BUD Light did something that I didn't think was possible this football season.

No, I'm not referring to the inevitable feeling of euphoria you get when you enjoy a few of their products - that definitely happened - but in addition to that, they made Sundays about football again.

The official beer of the National Football League, Bud Light's regional Caribbean division along with local distributors Bahamian Brewery and Beverage Company continue to give fans an opportunity to experience the sights, sounds and feel of the game through its "NFL Lovers" campaign.

All season long, Bud Light gave Bahamian fans an opportunity to experience the NFL firsthand with visits to Miami Dolphins games at Hard Rock Stadium and culminated with a trip to Super Bowl LII.

Several well-deserved winners (and me for some reason) earned the opportunity to enjoy the Bud Light powered amenities at the Dolphins/ Broncos on December 3.

We moved through the Ft Lauderdale and Miami areas like a team of travelling professional beer drinkers. If that's an actual job that comes with some level of celebrity, Bud Light made us feel that way - outfitted in Bud Light NFL Lovers jerseys, letterman jackets, baseball caps and flanked by promotional models.

The walk into Hard Rock Stadium set the tone for what the remainder of the day would be like.

Pausing for photos, with the backdrop of fans cheering either "Go Phins," "Go Broncos" or "Go Bud Light" depending on how lit their tailgate situation progressed throughout the morning.

We paused for photo ops wherever we saw Bud Light signage (there was a lot) and of course grabbed a few of the signature products (there were a lot) before we headed to our seats. Let's talk about the seats.

Bud Light spared no expense to make this experience as ideal as possible with 100-level seats so close to the Broncos bench you could actually see the depression setting into Trevor Siemian after every drive.Other winners shared similar experiences to Dolphins games during the season.

The campaign concluded with a joint celebration of both in Nassau and in Minnesota for Super Bowl LII.

In Nassau, Bud Light hosted a Mega Watch Party at the Cricket Club Pub and Restaurant on West Bay Street.

The cricket bowl was transformed into a stadium atmosphere complete with a miniature football field, sideline bleachers, a trio of supersized LCD screens and interactive amenities for partygoers.

During Superbowl LII, partygoers were connected to the winners live on location in Minnesota at the big game, connecting Bud Light patrons across two countries.

In 2015 Bud Light, the official beer of the NFL since 2011, renewed its sponsorship through the 2022 Super Bowl. And parent company Anheuser-Busch InBev paid $1.4 billion to do so.

When the company inked the deal, Bud Light became the first NFL sponsor permitted to use game highlight footage on its website and social media pages.

Seems to be money well spent for Bahamian NFL lovers.