Danish brewer Carlsberg is in advanced talks to sell a minority stake in its Asian operations to Japan’s Sapporo Holdings, according to information reported by Bloomberg. People familiar with the matter said the negotiations focus on ownership ratios and other terms, while noting that a transaction may still fall through if no final agreement is reached. Both companies declined to comment on what they described as market speculation.
The potential deal aligns with Sapporo’s strategy to reinforce its core beer business (inside.beer, 20.02.2024). As part of this refocusing, the Japanese group is currently divesting its real-estate arm, Sapporo Real Estate, whose assets include the prominent Yebisu Garden Place complex in Tokyo. That sale is expected to be completed by early December 2025.
Sapporo and Carlsberg already cooperate through a 2023 business partnership covering the production and distribution of Sapporo beer in Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia. A capital alliance would expand that collaboration and give Sapporo wider access to Carlsberg’s distribution network across Asia, one of the brewer’s most dynamic growth regions.
