• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Mark Cuban says he has the solution to growing income inequality, and it's to reward every employee—from CEO to janitor—with company stock

2

‘I want to die broke’: Billionaire philanthropist Denny Sanford dies after giving away $4 billion

3

'Dr. Doom' Nouriel Roubini says we're headed for universal basic income or 'some form of socialism' as AI revolutionizes work—He calls that optimistic

1

Mark Cuban says he has the solution to growing income inequality, and it's to reward every employee—from CEO to janitor—with company stock

2

‘I want to die broke’: Billionaire philanthropist Denny Sanford dies after giving away $4 billion

3

'Dr. Doom' Nouriel Roubini says we're headed for universal basic income or 'some form of socialism' as AI revolutionizes work—He calls that optimistic
RetailAnheuser-Busch

Don’t expect AB InBev-SABMiller to become a mega-brewer in the U.S.

By
John Kell
John Kell
Contributing Writer and author of CIO Intelligence
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
John Kell
John Kell
Contributing Writer and author of CIO Intelligence
Down Arrow Button Icon
September 16, 2015, 1:49 PM ET
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Before Anheuser-Busch InBev and SABMiller investors even think about toasting a potential tie-up, they need to consider that a merger, where the combined giant would sell seven out of 10 beers in the U.S., would never make it past trustbusters without major divestitures.

AB InBev rocked the beer world Wednesday when the brewer confirmed that it approached SABMiller’s board of directors to discuss a possible merger. Together the two companies are currently worth some $245 billion, and combined, they would control more than two-thirds of the $101.5 billion U.S. beer market, which is the largest in the world. But that doesn’t mean “Big Beer” is about to become “Mega Beer.”

“There is no way that AB with 45% market share could acquire an interest in the No. 2 player,” says Benj Steinman, editor of industry publication Beer Marketer’s Insights. “That is a no-starter from an antitrust perspective.”

A deal between AB InBev, whose top-selling brand in the U.S. is Budweiser, and SABMiller gets complicated in the U.S. by SABMiller’s joint venture with Canada’s Molson Coors (TAP). That venture, called MillerCoors, sells brands including Coors Light and Miller Lite and is the second-largest brewer in the U.S. with about 26% of the total beer market, according to Beer Marketer’s Insights. AB is first with 44.7%, while Corona producer Constellation Brands (STZ) is a distant third with 6.7%.

Remember that the Justice Department sued AB InBev back in 2013 over its $20.1 billion bid for Mexican brewer Grupo Modelo. The feds were worried that AB InBev would control too much of the market, resulting in potentially higher beer prices for American beer drinkers. And that deal would have only combined the largest and third-largest beer firms – a potential AB InBev-SABMiller deal has far bigger implications.

The federal government’s actions led AB InBev to sell off the U.S. assets of Grupo Modelo to Constellation Brands, giving its smaller rival labels that included Modelo Especial, Victoria, and Corona. Constellation – which was founded as a wine producer and also has a small spirits business – has done quite well with the acquisition. Shares have surged nearly 500% since it became clear that Constellation could get control of Modelo’s U.S. beer business.

“DOJ didn’t allow the U.S. absorption of Modelo without a selloff, so it is hard to think that they would allow absorption of Miller,” wrote Brewers Association director Paul Gatza in a blog post.

A similar divestiture could occur for MillerCoors, in which SABMiller and Molson Coors each have 50% voting interest, though SABMiller has a larger 58% economic interest in the business.

With close to a hundred beverage brands between AB InBev and SABMiller worldwide, it’s still too early to say what would go on the selling block, but top shoppers would likely include Molson and Heineken. Constellation and Carlsberg could also be interested. MillerCoors last year generated $1.33 billion in net income and total net sales of $7.85 billion. As the industry trade group the Brewers Association points out: Those profits are “very attractive to somebody.”

[fortune-brightcove videoid=4449032689001]

A deal for MillerCoors wouldn’t create the same home run that Constellation scored. Market share for Constellation’s beers has swelled to 6.7% from 2.4% back in 2005. Mexican imports have sold well in the U.S. thanks to a growing Hispanic population and greater interest in session-style beers that are produced abroad. But beer experts say those beers are stealing market share from U.S. stalwarts Coors Light, Bud Light, and Miller Lite, which target a similar demographic. Market share for MillerCoors, meanwhile, has slipped from 29% to 26% over the same time period.

A potential break up of the MillerCoors venture could also kill an uneasy relationship between SABMiller and Molson, a partnership that has existed since 2008. A number of reports say the brewers haven’t always seen eye to eye on how to best tackle the U.S. market. Molson even sued SABMiller back in 2013 over a licensing agreement in Canada.

“It raises a lot of question marks for the future,” Steinman of Beer Marketer’s Insights said about a potential AB-SABMiller deal. “You don’t have great visibility into how this plays out.”

About the Author
By John KellContributing Writer and author of CIO Intelligence

John Kell is a contributing writer for Fortune and author of Fortune’s CIO Intelligence newsletter.

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Retail

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • TikTok icon
  • YouTube icon

Latest in Retail

wilt
Arts & EntertainmentAuction
Gen Z entrepreneur found a Wilt Chamberlain Lakers warm-up for $3.07 outside Portland — it was a $90,000 genuine article
By Claire Rush and The Associated PressJuly 21, 2026
1 hour ago
‘We all failed’: Former Disney CEO Michael Eisner on Hollywood, video games and the big question of IP
Arts & EntertainmentDisney
‘We all failed’: Former Disney CEO Michael Eisner on Hollywood, video games and the big question of IP
By Joshua HongJuly 21, 2026
2 hours ago
A Jersey Mike's logo is displayed outside one of their stores in San Diego, California.
InvestingIPOs
Jersey Mike’s IPO valuation could reach eight times Sweetgreen’s market cap
By Sheryl EstradaJuly 21, 2026
7 hours ago
LaLiga president says tech is already making the fan experience better, and it could solve football’s money problem too
AISports
LaLiga president says tech is already making the fan experience better, and it could solve football’s money problem too
By Catherina GioinoJuly 20, 2026
17 hours ago
A hand types on a computer with a screen displaying the AliExpress logo from Google Images.
RetailRetail
‘It is a failure by AliExpress’: European Commission fines the Chinese marketplace $629 million for not blocking counterfeit goods
By The Associated Press and Mike CorderJuly 20, 2026
17 hours ago
FDA walks back positive lab test while lettuce recall continues
HealthFood and drink
FDA walks back positive lab test while lettuce recall continues
By Bloomberg, Kristina Peterson, Jessica Nix and Daniela SirtoriJuly 20, 2026
23 hours ago

Most Popular

Mark Cuban says he has the solution to growing income inequality, and it's to reward every employee—from CEO to janitor—with company stock
Success
Mark Cuban says he has the solution to growing income inequality, and it's to reward every employee—from CEO to janitor—with company stock
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 20, 2026
20 hours ago
‘I want to die broke’: Billionaire philanthropist Denny Sanford dies after giving away $4 billion
Success
‘I want to die broke’: Billionaire philanthropist Denny Sanford dies after giving away $4 billion
By Sydney LakeJuly 20, 2026
1 day ago
'Dr. Doom' Nouriel Roubini says we're headed for universal basic income or 'some form of socialism' as AI revolutionizes work—He calls that optimistic
AI
'Dr. Doom' Nouriel Roubini says we're headed for universal basic income or 'some form of socialism' as AI revolutionizes work—He calls that optimistic
By Jason MaJuly 18, 2026
3 days ago
Current price of silver as of Monday, July 20, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of silver as of Monday, July 20, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJuly 20, 2026
1 day ago
Warren Buffett says his $147 billion investing career was an accident: ‘I may be one of the 10 luckiest in the world’
Future of Work
Warren Buffett says his $147 billion investing career was an accident: ‘I may be one of the 10 luckiest in the world’
By Sarah GlodekJuly 20, 2026
1 day ago
It’s not just Taco Bell lettuce and possible glass in Pillsbury rolls: Food and drink recall events reached a 6-year year-over-year high
Retail
It’s not just Taco Bell lettuce and possible glass in Pillsbury rolls: Food and drink recall events reached a 6-year year-over-year high
By Sasha RogelbergJuly 20, 2026
1 day ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.