There aren’t vendors in the streets of Buffalo, N.Y., selling sunscreen during massive lake-effect snowstorms. So why does the world’s largest beer company spend millions on Super Bowl ads during the driest months in the United States?

This year, Anheuser-Busch declined the alcohol category exclusivity agreement it’s held with broadcasters for each Super Bowl since 1989. That allowed competitors including Molson Coors, Diageo and Rémy Cointreau to take the field during the Big Game.

It also gave AB the opportunity to reconsider its Super Bowl spending habits and refocus its sports marketing calendar.