Asahi Group has agreed to acquire a group of Eastern European beer brands from Anheuser-Busch InBev (AB InBev) for €7.3bn.
As per the deal, the Japanese beverage giant will purchase the beer brands and their operations in Czech Republic, Poland, Slovak Republic, Romania and Hungary.
It will also get the intellectual property rights of the beer brands that include Pilsner Urquell, Kozel, Tyskie among others. However, the deal excludes the US and Puerto Rico intellectual property rights associated with Pilsner Urquell, Tyskie and Lech.
Asahi said that the acquisition of the brands complement its Western European business besides consolidating its business platform and enabling it to grow sustainably across the continent.
The newly acquired brands along with existing beer brands of Super Dry, Peroni and Grolsch are said to help the Japanese beverage company to aim at a unique position globally with main focus on a portfolio of premium beers.
In October, Asahi had acquired Peroni, Grolsch and Meantime beer brands from SAB Miller for €2.5bn. SAB Miller was later merged into AB InBev in a £79bn deal.
Asahi revealed that it is looking to improve its cash generation ability via its international business by making the most from its current European business in addition to merging the brand power and cost competing ability it has grown in its home country.
The acquisition is likely to be completed by December 2017, and is subject to meeting of the conditions precedent which includes an anti-trust merger approval in the European Union.
