BRUSSELS -- After already agreeing to leave all the MillerCoors beer brands in the hands of Molson Coors Brewing, Anheuser-Busch InBev will now likely sell the Peroni and Grolsch beer brands it would gain from its pending acquisition of SABMiller. The sale, hinted at this past week, is part of an effort to head off European regulatory concerns over the $107 billion brewery merger, the Financial Times reported.
AB InBev, which owns the Stella Artois and Corona brands, wants to dispose of the SABMiller brands amid worries the combined entity will have too much dominance over Europe's premium beer market, the Financial Times reported, citing a person familiar with the matter.
To date, no formal process had been agreed on and the plans were subject to change.
AB InBev already agreed to sell rights to all of the brands under the MillerCoors umbrella in the U.S.--including Blue Moon, Lienenkugel's, Crispin cider and all of the Miller beer brands--to Molson Coors to avoid regulatory issues in the United States. Reports suggest a similar selloff is necessary in Europe, although no official action has been taken.
Brussels-based AB InBev launched its formal takeover of London-listed SABMiller earlier this month in a deal to create a unified company that would earn half of the entire brewing industry's profits.
No price for the Peroni and Grolsch brands has been indicated, but the two brands are expected to fetch billions.
Potential buyers, according to reports, include Dutch group Heineken, U.S.-based Molson Coors and Ireland's C & C Group.
AB InBev and SABMiller have not commented on the issue.
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