Budweiser Gets Involved in Leafs Super Fan's Legal Dispute with Maple Leafs Sponsor
Budweiser has taken a shot at the Leafs' sponsor on social media in support of Leafs superfan Kurtis Stevenson, better known as "Kurtis From Alberta."
Yesterday, Leafs superfan Kurtis Stevenson, who is known on social media as "Kurtis From Alberta," posted a video to his X account revealing that the Leafs and one of their major sponsors allegedly threatened legal action against him and that he will no longer be active and creating videos on social media.
In the video, Stevenson alleges that he has been told he can no longer be seen wearing Leafs gear or be in the presence of Leafs gear while filming and drinking any beer aside from the beer of the Leafs' sponsor.
A genuine and gradual rise to prominence on social media over the past few seasons saw Kurtis become a fan-favourite across the league. Decked out in full Leafs gear while watching games in his basement and at Scotiabank Arena, his home features Leafs memorabilia from wall-to-wall and floor-to-ceiling. The Leafs quickly took notice and even arranged for some special treatment at games he was able to attend.
When news of the alleged lawsuit broke, many fans defended Kurtis, calling out the Leafs and their sponsor for attacking a die hard fan that genuinely loves the Leafs and hockey.
On Wednesday, as the Leafs and their sponsor continue to face backlash for the decision, Budweiser, a direct rival of the Leafs' sponsor, took to social media in support of Kurtis and in doing so, fired a shot at the Leafs and Molson.
Posted to Instagram, Budweiser's attack was a simple video with the words "Can't Drink That Beer" before a thick line crosses out the word "can't", followed by smaller text that reads, "Make time for hockey, not red tape." and a caption tagging Kurtis' Instagram account.
Budweiser became the official beer of the NHL in Canada in June, which makes their backing of Kurtis that much more significant.
While the situation continues to unfold behind closed doors, and not much public information is available, we may end up seeing "Kurtis From Alberta" back online in short order, thanks to the support of Budweiser.
