The Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) has ended its partnership with BrewDog at Lord’s Cricket Ground after just one season, following the craft beer company’s sale to American cannabis producer Tilray Brands, according to a report by The Independent.
The decision cuts short what was initially announced as a four-year agreement and sends the historic London venue into the market for a new beer supplier ahead of the 2026 cricket season.
A four-year partnership that lasted just one season
MCC originally unveiled BrewDog as the official beer supplier of Lord’s in November 2024, describing the arrangement as a “first of its kind” deal. The partnership began in January 2025 and was expected to run through 2028.
Under the agreement, a range of BrewDog products — including low- and no-alcohol options — were sold throughout the 32,000-seat venue, with the brand also receiving multiple in-stadium activations and commercial opportunities.
The first season of the partnership proved commercially successful, with strong fan uptake of the beverages across matchdays at the iconic ground.
However, major developments at BrewDog over the past year have dramatically reshaped the company’s outlook — and ultimately prompted MCC to terminate the deal.
Tilray takeover triggers uncertainty
The partnership unraveled after Tilray Brands, a US-based company best known for producing medicinal cannabis products, acquired BrewDog’s brewery, brand and 11 pubs in a £33 million rescue transaction.
The acquisition followed financial struggles at the once-high-flying craft beer company, which had previously been valued at around £1 billion during its rapid growth years.
Following the sale, dozens of BrewDog bars across the UK were closed and nearly 500 employees lost their jobs. The deal also left approximately 220,000 “equity-punk” investors — retail backers who had crowdfunded the company’s expansion — without returns on their investments.
The upheaval around the business created uncertainty for commercial partners, including MCC, which operates Lord’s and oversees the Laws of Cricket.
MCC prioritizes match-day stability
MCC leadership said the decision to end the agreement was driven primarily by the need for operational certainty ahead of future seasons.
In a letter to members, Robert Lawson, the MCC Chief Executive, said:
“I am writing to inform you that the MCC Committee has taken the decision to end its contracts with BrewDog, both as an official partner of MCC and as the official beer supplier at Lord’s.
“Following recent changes to the brewery’s business operations, the club believes this is the right step to ensure certainty and continuity ahead of the 2026 season. A competitive tender process to appoint a new supplier for the coming season and beyond will now begin.
“We are proud that 2025 saw record beer sales at Lord’s, reflecting a strong first year of the partnership. However, our priority is to guarantee the high-quality match-day experience that members and visitors rightly expect; to do this, we need certainty from our suppliers.
“We thank BrewDog for their contribution over the past year.”
Lord’s launches search for new beer supplier
With the agreement terminated, MCC has begun a competitive tender process to appoint a new beer partner for Lord’s beginning in 2026.
The venue — widely considered the “Home of Cricket” — hosts two England men’s Test matches most summers and regularly stages global tournament fixtures and finals.
It is also scheduled to host the final of the ICC Women’s T20 World Cup later this year, making beverage partnerships and hospitality operations a significant commercial component of the ground’s matchday experience.
Lord’s maintains a portfolio of premium commercial partners across financial services, luxury beverages and hospitality brands, reflecting its position as one of cricket’s most prestigious venues.
For BrewDog, meanwhile, the MCC split marks the loss of a high-profile sports venue partnership during a turbulent restructuring period, even as the brand retains other agreements in the wider sports industry.
