Item 1. BUSINESS

Unless otherwise noted in this report, any description of "we," "us" or "our" includes Molson Coors Beverage Company ("MCBC" or the "Company") (formerly known as Molson Coors Brewing Company), principally a holding company, and its operating and non-operating subsidiaries included within our reporting segments and Corporate. At December 31, 2019, our reporting segments included: MillerCoors LLC ("MillerCoors" or U.S. segment), operating in the United States; Molson Coors Canada ("MCC" or Canada segment), operating in Canada; Molson Coors Europe (Europe segment), operating in Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Montenegro, the Republic of Ireland, Romania, Serbia, the United Kingdom and various other European countries; and Molson Coors International ("MCI" or International segment), operating in various other countries. As further discussed below, in January 2020, we changed our management structure to two business units, our North America and Europe businesses. Accordingly, the segment reporting implications will not be reflected until the first quarter of 2020.

Unless otherwise indicated, information in this report is presented in USD and comparisons are to comparable prior periods. Our primary operating currencies, other than USD, include the CAD, the GBP, and our Central European operating currencies such as the EUR, CZK, HRK and RSD.

Background

We are one of the world's largest brewers and have a diverse portfolio of owned and partner brands, including global priority brands Blue Moon, Coors Banquet, Coors Light, Miller Genuine Draft, Miller Lite, and Staropramen, regional champion brands Carling, Molson Canadian and other leading country-specific brands, as well as craft and specialty beers such as Creemore Springs, Cobra, Sharp's Doom Bar, Henry's Hard and Leinenkugel's. With centuries of brewing heritage, we craft high-quality, innovative beverages with the purpose of uniting people to celebrate all life’s moments. As a business, our ambition is to be the first choice for our people, our consumers and our customers, and our success depends on our ability to make our products available to meet a wide range of consumer segments and occasions.

Molson and Coors were founded in 1786 and 1873, respectively. Our commitment to producing the highest quality beers is a key part of our heritage and remains so to this day. Our brands are designed to appeal to a wide range of consumer tastes, styles and price preferences. Our largest markets are the U.S., Canada and Europe.

Coors was incorporated in June 1913 under the laws of the state of Colorado. In October 2003, Coors merged with and into Adolph Coors Company, a Delaware corporation. In February 2005, Adolph Coors Company merged with Molson Inc. ("the Merger"). Upon completion of the Merger, Adolph Coors Company changed its name to Molson Coors Brewing Company. In January 2020, we changed our name from Molson Coors Brewing Company to Molson Coors Beverage Company, as further discussed below.

Revitalization Plan

On October 28, 2019, we initiated a revitalization plan designed to allow us to invest across our portfolio to drive long-term, sustainable success. As part of our revitalization plan, we made the determination to establish Chicago, Illinois as our North American operational headquarters, close our existing office in Denver, Colorado and consolidate certain administrative functions into our other existing office locations.

Effective January 2020, we moved from a corporate center and four business units to two business units - North America and Europe. The North America business unit consolidates the United States, Canada and corporate center, enabling us to move more quickly with an integrated portfolio strategy. The Europe business unit allows for standalone operations, developed and supported by a European-based team, including local leadership, commercial, supply chain and support functions. The existing International team was reconstituted to more effectively grow our global brands - with the Africa and Asia Pacific businesses reporting into the European business unit and the remaining International business reporting into the North America business unit. The change in structure to two business units and the resulting financial reporting segment changes will not be reflected until our first quarter 2020 results.

We also changed our name from Molson Coors Brewing Company to Molson Coors Beverage Company, in January 2020 in order, to better reflect our strategic intent to expand beyond beer and into other growth adjacencies in the beverage industry.

Industry Overview

The brewing industry has significantly evolved over the years, becoming an increasingly global beer market. The industry was previously founded on local presence with modest international expansion achieved through export, license and partnership arrangements. More recently, it has become increasingly complex, as the consolidation of brewers has occurred globally, resulting in fewer major global market participants. In addition to the acquisitive element of this industry consolidation, the market continues to utilize export, license and partnership arrangements; however, these are often with the same global competitors that make up the majority of the market. This industry consolidation has resulted in a small number of large global brewers representing the majority of the worldwide beer market. At the same time, smaller local brewers within certain established markets are experiencing accelerated growth as consumers increasingly place value on locally-produced, regionally-sourced products. Changing consumer trends are also pushing the industry toward above premium beer, flavored malt beverages, and beyond beer altogether. As the beer industry continues its evolution of consolidation and diversification of its products to meet consumer demand with broadening preferences, large global brewers are uniquely positioned to leverage the scale, depth of product portfolio and industry knowledge to continue to lead the market forward.

Global Competitors' Market Capitalization

We evaluate ourselves in relation to other global brewers using various metrics, including overall market capitalization, volume, net sales revenue, gross margins and net profits, as well as our position within each of our core markets, with the goal to be the first choice for our consumers and customers. To provide a perspective of the relative size of the major participants in the global brewing market, the market capitalizations of our primary global competitors, based on foreign exchange rates as of December 31, 2019, were as follows:

	Market Capitalization
	(In billions)
Anheuser-Busch InBev SA/NV	$	164.6
Heineken N.V. ("Heineken")	$	61.3
Carlsberg Group ("Carlsberg")	$	22.6
Asahi Group Holdings, Ltd. ("Asahi")	$	22.2
MCBC	$	11.8

Our Products

We have a diverse portfolio of owned and partner brands which are positioned to meet a wide range of consumer segments and occasions in a variety of markets, including Blue Moon, Coors Banquet, Coors Light, Miller Genuine Draft, Miller Lite and Staropramen. We consider these our global priority brands which we continue to invest in and focus on growing globally. We believe our portfolio encompasses all segments of the beer industry with the purpose of uniting people to celebrate all life’s moments, including premium and premium lights, economy, above premium and craft, as well as adjacencies such as ciders and other malt beverages. Additionally, as we continue to evolve our strategy and portfolio to appeal to the ever-changing preferences of our consumer base, we are also broadening our range of products and offerings within our portfolio to include other beverage categories outside of traditional beer, including our emerging plans in the non-alcoholic beverage segment. The following includes our primary brands sold in each of our segments.

Brands sold in the U.S.

Global priority brands		National champion and other regional brands		Craft and import brands
Blue Moon		Hamm's		Hop Valley
Coors Banquet		Icehouse		Leinenkugel's
Coors Light		Keystone		Peroni Nastro Azurro*(1)*
Miller Genuine Draft		Mickey's		Pilsner Urquell*(1)*
Miller Lite		Miller64		Revolver
		Miller High Life		Saint Archer
		Milwaukee's Best		Sol*(2)*
		Olde English		Terrapin
		Steel Reserve
Hard cider brands		Flavored malt beverages
Crispin		Arnold Palmer Spiked*(3)*
Smith & Forge		Cape Line
		Henry's Hard
		Redd's*(4)*
		Steel Reserve Alloy Series
(1) Under perpetual royalty-free license from Asahi.
(2) Under license from Heineken.
(3) In partnership with Hornell Brewing, an affiliate of Arizona Beverages
(4) Under perpetual royalty-free license from ABI.

Brands sold in Canada

Global priority brands		National champion and other regional brands		Craft and import brands
Belgian Moon		Aquarelle		Brasseurs de Montréal
Coors Original		Carling		Creemore Springs
Coors Light		Carling Black Label		Granville Island
Miller Genuine Draft		Coors Edge		Le Trou du Diable
Miller Lite		Coors Slice
		Exel
		Keystone
		Mad Jack
		Miller High Life
		Molson Canadian
		Molson Dry
		Molson Export
		Molson Ultra
		Old Style Pilsner
		Rickard's
Licensed premium import brands**(1)**
Heineken		Dos Equis
Heineken 0.0		Moretti
Strongbow cider		Sol
(1) Under license from Heineken.

Brands sold in Europe

Global priority brands		National champion and other regional brands		Other**(1)**
Blue Moon		Bergenbier		Aspall Cider
Coors Light		Borsodi		Bavaria
Miller Genuine Draft		Carling		Beck's
Staropramen		Jelen		Branik
		Kamenitza		Cobra
		Niksicko		Corona Extra
		Ozujsko		Lowenbrau
				Pardubicky Pivovar
				Rekorderlig cider
				Sharp's Doom Bar
				Stella Artois
(1) The European business has licensing and distribution agreements with various other brewers through which it also brews and distributes Beck's, Lowenbrau, Stella Artois and Spaten, as well as a distribution agreement for the exclusive distribution of the Corona brand, throughout the Central European countries in which we operate. We have an agreement with Dutch brewer, Bavaria, for the exclusive on-premise and off-premise rights to the sales, distribution and customer marketing of Bavaria and its portfolio of brands in the U.K. We have an agreement for licensed brewing and distribution of the Bavaria portfolio in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia and Montenegro. We also distribute the Rekorderlig cider brand in the U.K. and the Republic of Ireland. In the U.K., we also sell the Cobra brands through the Cobra Beer Partnership Ltd. joint venture. Additionally, in order to be able to provide a full line of beer and other beverages to our U.K. on-premise customers, we sell "factored" brands, which are third-party beverage brands for which we provide distribution to retail, typically on a non-exclusive basis.

Brands sold in International

Global priority brands		National champion and other regional brands		Other
Blue Moon		Miller High Life		Carling Strong
Coors Light		Thunderbolt		Coors Banquet
Miller Genuine Draft				Coors Original
Miller Lite				Keystone
				Milwaukee's Best
				Miller Ace
				Miller Chill
				Miller Ultra
				Molson Canadian
				Redd's
				Singha
				Zima

Our Segments

In 2019, we operated the following segments: the U.S., Canada, Europe and International. A separate operating team managed each segment and each segment manufactures, markets, and sells beer and other malt beverage products. No single customer accounted for more than 10% of our consolidated sales in 2019, 2018 or 2017.

Effective January 1, 2020, as part of our revitalization plan, we changed our management structure to two business units - North America and Europe. The resulting financial reporting segment changes will not be reflected until our first quarter 2020 results.

United States Segment

•	Headquarters: Chicago, Illinois

•	Approximately 7,300 employees as of December 31, 2019

•	Second largest brewer by volume in the U.S., representing approximately 23% of the total 2019 U.S. brewing industry shipments (excluding exports)

•

Currently operating seven primary breweries, six craft breweries and two container operations. In January 2020, we announced plans to cease production at our Irwindale, California brewery, which is currently expected to occur by September 2020, and entered into an option agreement with Pabst Brewing Company, LLC, granting them an option to purchase the Irwindale brewery. Products produced in the Irwindale brewery will be transitioned to other breweries in our network. See Part II—Item 8 Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, Note 7, "Special Items" for additional details.

Sales and Distribution

In the United States, beer is generally distributed through a three-tier system consisting of manufacturers, distributors and retailers. A national network of approximately 380 independent distributors and one owned distributor, Coors Distributing Company, purchases our products and distributes them to on- and off-premise retail accounts.

References to on- and off-premise sales volumes are the sales to retailers of these distributors, which we believe is a useful data point relative to consumer trends.

Channels

In the United States, the on-premise channel industry volume, which includes sales in bars and restaurants, declined approximately 3% in 2019.

The off-premise channel includes sales in convenience stores, grocery stores, liquor stores and other retail outlets. The off-premise channel industry volume declined approximately 1% in 2019 versus prior year.

The following table reflects the industry channel share trends over the last five years in the United States. Note that percentages reflect estimates based on market data currently available.

	Industry channel trend
	2019			2018			2017			2016			2015
On-premise	16	%		16	%		16	%		16	%		17	%
Off-premise	84	%		84	%		84	%		84	%		83	%

Coors Distributing Company distributed approximately 2% of our total owned and non-owned volume in 2019.

Manufacturing, Production and Packaging

Brewing Raw Materials

We use high quality ingredients to brew our products. We malt a portion of our production requirements, using barley purchased under primarily annual contracts from independent farmers located predominantly in the western United States. Other barley, malt, and cereal grains are purchased from suppliers primarily in the U.S. Hops are purchased from suppliers in the U.S. and Europe. We both own and lease water rights, as well as purchase water through local municipalities, to provide for and sustain brewing operations in case of a prolonged drought in the regions where we have operations. We do not currently anticipate future difficulties in accessing water or agricultural products used in our brewing process in the near term.

Packaging Materials

The following summarizes the percentage of our U.S. segment's packaging materials by type for the year ended December 31, 2019.

Aluminum cans or bottles:

•	A portion of the aluminum containers was purchased from Rocky Mountain Metal Container ("RMMC"), our joint venture with Ball Corporation ("Ball"), whose production facilities, which are leased from us, are located near our brewery in Golden, Colorado.

•	In addition to the supply agreement with RMMC, we have a supply agreement with Ball to purchase cans and ends in excess of what is supplied through RMMC.

•	The RMMC joint venture agreement along with the cans and ends purchase agreement each expire on December 31, 2021.

Glass bottles:

•	A portion of the glass bottles was provided by Rocky Mountain Bottle Company ("RMBC"), our joint venture with Owens-Brockway Glass Container, Inc. ("Owens"), whose production facilities, which are leased from us, are located in Wheat Ridge, Colorado. The RMBC joint venture agreement expires on July 31, 2025.

•	In addition to the supply agreement with RMBC, we have a supply agreement with Owens for requirements in excess of RMBC's production, which expires on December 31, 2021.

Stainless steel kegs:

•	Kegs are packaged in half, quarter, and one-sixth barrel stainless steel kegs.

•	A limited number of kegs are purchased each year, and we have no long-term supply agreement.

Crowns, labels, corrugate and paperboard are purchased from a small number of sources unique to each product. In recent years, we have experienced a slight shift in the allocation among different packaging types toward aluminum cans and bottles and away from glass bottles. In general, aluminum cans allow for lower packaging costs compared to most other types of packaging materials. We do not currently anticipate future difficulties in accessing packaging products in the near term.

Contract Manufacturing

We have an agreement to brew, package and ship products for Pabst Brewing Company, LLC. Additionally, the U.S. segment produces beer for export to our Canada and International segments.

Seasonality of the Business

Total industry volume in the U.S. is sensitive to factors such as weather, changes in demographics, consumer preferences and drinking occasions. Weather conditions consisting of high temperatures and extended periods of warm and dry weather favor increased consumption of our products, while unseasonably cool or wet weather, especially during the summer months, adversely affects our sales volumes and net sales. Accordingly, consumption of beer in the U.S. is seasonal, with approximately 38% of industry sales volume typically occurring during the warmer months from May through August.

Known Trends and Competitive Conditions

2019 U.S. Beer Industry Overview

The beer industry in the United States is highly competitive, and the two largest brewers, ABI and MCBC together represented the majority of the market in 2019. However, we estimate the two largest brewers lost share in 2019 due to volume growth in the import and flavored malt beverage (including hard seltzers) categories as consumer preferences continue to shift within the industry to above premium priced beers. We believe growing or even maintaining our market share will require stabilizing our core brands and increasing our presence in the fast growing areas of the industry.

Competition from outside of the beer category continues to be a challenge for the beer industry. The following table summarizes the estimated percentage market share by volume of beer (including flavored malt beverages) and other alcohol beverages, including wine and spirits, as a component of the overall U.S. alcohol market over the last five years. We anticipate that 2019 data, when available, will reflect a continuation of the recent consumer trends. Note that percentages reflect estimates based on market data currently available.

	2018			2017			2016			2015			2014
Beer	49	%		50	%		51	%		51	%		51	%
Other alcohol beverages	51	%		50	%		49	%		49	%		49	%

Our Competitive Position

Our portfolio of beers competes with numerous above premium, premium, and economy brands. These competing brands are produced by international, national, regional and local brewers. We compete most directly with ABI brands, but also compete with imported and craft beer brands, as well as flavored malt beverages. The following table summarizes the estimated percentage share of the U.S. beer market represented by Molson Coors, ABI and all other brewers over the last five years. Note that current year percentages reflect estimates based on market data currently available.

	2019			2018			2017			2016			2015
MCBC's share	23	%		24	%		25	%		25	%		26	%
ABI's share	42	%		42	%		43	%		44	%		45	%
Others' share	35	%		34	%		32	%		31	%		29	%

Our products also compete with other alcohol beverages, including wine and spirits, and thus their competitive position is affected by consumer preferences between and among these other categories. Driven by increased spirits advertising along with increased wine and spirits sales execution, sales of wine and spirits have grown faster than sales of beer in recent years, resulting in a reduction in the beer segment's lead in the overall alcohol beverage market.

Regulation

The U.S. beer business is regulated by federal, state, and local governments. These regulations govern many parts of our operations, including brewing, marketing and advertising, transportation, distributor relationships, sales, and environmental issues. To operate our facilities, we must obtain and maintain numerous permits, licenses and approvals from various governmental agencies, including the U.S. Department of Treasury, Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, state alcohol regulatory agencies, and state and federal environmental agencies.

Governmental entities also levy taxes and may require bonds to ensure compliance with applicable laws and regulations. In 2019, excise taxes on malt beverages were approximately $15 per hectoliter sold on a reported basis. This includes the impact of the Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act which took effect on January 1, 2018 for all qualified large domestic brewers and importers effective for 2018 and 2019, and subsequently has been extended through fiscal year 2020, and resulted in reduced excise taxes for MCBC in the U.S. by $2 per barrel on the first six million barrels, which equated to $1.70 per hectoliter on this portion of volume. We transfer a portion of our share of these savings to distributors consistent with the revenue splitting approach of our U.S. segment’s economic model. State excise taxes are levied in specific states at varying rates.

Refer to Part I—Item 1A, Risk Factors for risks associated with the regulatory environment in the U.S.

Canada Segment

•	Headquarters: Toronto, Ontario (transitioning to North America operational headquarters in Chicago, Illinois in 2020)

•	Approximately 2,600 employees as of December 31, 2019

•	Canada's second largest brewer by volume and North America's oldest beer company, representing approximately 31% of the total 2019 Canada beer market

•	Currently operating five primary breweries and four craft breweries

We brew, market, sell and distribute a wide variety of beer brands nationally. Our portfolio has leading brands in all major product and price segments. In 2019, Coors Light had an approximate 9% market share and was the second largest selling beer brand in Canada, and Molson Canadian had an approximate 5% market share and was the fourth largest selling beer in Canada. Additionally, in 2019 Belgian Moon was the largest selling craft beer in Canada.

The Canada segment also includes our partnership arrangements related to the distribution of beer in Ontario, Brewers' Retail Inc. ("BRI"), and in the western provinces, Brewers' Distributor Ltd. ("BDL"). BRI and BDL are accounted for under the equity method of accounting. The majority of ownership in BRI resides with MCC, Labatt Breweries of Canada LP (a subsidiary of ABI) and Sleeman Breweries Ltd. (a subsidiary of Sapporo International). BDL is jointly owned by MCC and ABI. In addition, we have an agreement with Heineken that grants us the right to import, market, distribute and sell certain Heineken products in Canada.

In line with our strategic initiatives to expand our craft portfolio, the Canada segment acquired Le Trou du Diable, a craft brewery in Quebec, in 2017. There were no additional acquisitions during 2018 or 2019. Additionally, on October 4, 2018, a wholly-owned subsidiary within our Canadian business completed the formation of an independent Canadian joint venture, Truss LP ("Truss"), with HEXO Corp. ("HEXO") to pursue opportunities to develop, produce and market non-alcoholic, cannabis-infused beverages. Truss is structured as a standalone start-up company with its own board of directors and an independent management team and we maintain a 57.5% controlling interest in the joint venture. Truss has been preparing for the launch of cannabis-infused products in the Canadian market, including the construction of a production facility in Belleville, Ontario. We currently expect that Truss will launch products in 2020, subject to obtaining all of the required licenses and regulatory clearances.

Sales and Distribution

In Canada, provincial governments regulate the beer industry, particularly with regard to the pricing, mark-up, container management, sale, distribution and advertising of beer. Distribution and the retail sale of alcohol products involve a wide range and varied degree of Canadian government control through their respective provincial liquor boards. See below discussion for details by province.

Channels

In Canada, the on-premise channel includes sales in bars and restaurants. In Ontario and western Canada, we use jointly-owned distribution systems to deliver beer to on-premise customers along with products from Labatt Breweries of Canada LP and Sleeman Breweries Ltd. In Quebec and Eastern Canada, we primarily deliver directly. The on-premise channel, and

relationships with customers, are highly regulated and the regulations differ significantly across different provincial jurisdictions.

The off-premise channel includes sales to convenience stores, grocery stores, liquor stores and other specialty retail outlets, including "The Beer Store" in Ontario, which is the world's largest beer retailer and is co-owned by Ontario's three largest brewers. The off-premise channel is highly regulated and differs significantly across different provincial jurisdictions.

The following table reflects the industry channel trends over the last five years in Canada.

	Industry channel trend
	2019			2018			2017			2016			2015
On-premise	16	%		16	%		17	%		17	%		17	%
Off-premise	84	%		84	%		83	%		83	%		83	%

Province of Ontario

In Ontario, beer is primarily purchased at retail outlets operated by BRI, at government-regulated retail outlets operated by the Liquor Control Board of Ontario ("LCBO"), at approved agents of the LCBO, at certain licensed grocery stores, or at any bar, restaurant, or tavern licensed by the LCBO to sell alcohol for on-premise consumption. The BRI retail outlets operate under The Beer Store name. Brewers may deliver directly to BRI's outlets or may choose to use BRI's distribution centers to access retail stores in Ontario, the LCBO system, the grocery channel and licensed establishments.

In June 2019, the Ontario government adopted a bill that, if enacted, would terminate a 10-year Master Framework Agreement that was originally signed between the previous government administration and Molson Coors, Labatt Brewing Company Limited, Sleeman Breweries Ltd., and BRI in 2015 and governs the terms of the beer distribution and retail systems in Ontario through 2025. See Part I, Item 1A. Risk Factors, Part II, Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations and Part II—Item 8 Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, Note 18, "Commitments and Contingencies" for further discussion.

Province of Québec

In Québec, the distribution and sale of beer is governed by the Quebec Alcohol Corporation ("SAQ"). Beer is distributed to retail outlets directly by each brewer or through approved independent agents. We are the agent for the licensed brands we distribute. The brewer or agent distributes the products to permit holders for retail sales for on-premise consumption. Québec retail sales for off-premise consumption are made through grocery and convenience stores, as well as government operated outlets.

Province of British Columbia

In British Columbia, the government's Liquor Distribution Branch controls the regulatory elements of distribution of all alcohol products in the province. BDL, which we co-own with ABI, manages the distribution of our products throughout British Columbia. Consumers can purchase beer at any Liquor Distribution Branch retail outlet, at any independently owned and licensed retail store or at any licensed establishment for on-premise consumption. Establishments licensed primarily for on-premise alcohol sales may also be licensed for off-premise consumption.

Province of Alberta

In Alberta, the distribution of beer is managed by independent private warehousing and shipping companies or by a government sponsored system in the case of U.S. sourced products. All sales of liquor in Alberta are made through retail outlets licensed by the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission or licensees, such as bars, hotels and restaurants. BDL manages the distribution of our products in Alberta.

Other Provinces

Our products are distributed in the provinces of Manitoba and Saskatchewan through local liquor boards. Manitoba and Saskatchewan also have licensed private retailers. BDL manages the distribution of our products in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. In the Maritime Provinces (other than Newfoundland), local liquor boards distribute and sell our products. In Newfoundland, our products are sold through independent distributors. In Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut, government liquor commissioners manage the distribution and sale of our products.

Manufacturing, Production and Packaging

Brewing Raw Materials

We use high quality ingredients to brew our products. We source barley malt from one primary provider, from which we have a committed supply through 2022. Hops are purchased from a variety of global suppliers in the U.S. and Europe through contracts that vary in length based on market conditions and cover our supply requirements through 2021. Other starch brewing adjuncts are sourced from two main suppliers, both in North America, through 2022. Water used in the brewing process is from local sources in the communities where our breweries operate. We do not currently anticipate future difficulties in accessing water or agricultural products used in our brewing process in the near term.

Packaging Materials

The following summarizes the percentage of our Canada segment's packaging materials by type for the year ended December 31, 2019.

Aluminum cans or bottles:

•	We source cans and lids from two primary providers with the related contracts ending December 2023.

•	The distribution systems in each province generally provide the collection network for returnable bottles and aluminum cans.

Bottles:

•	We single source glass bottles and have a committed supply through December 2021.

•	The standard bottle for beer brewed in Canada is the 341 ml returnable bottle and represents the vast majority of our bottle sales.

•

Bottle sales continue to decline as we have experienced a shift in consumers' preference toward aluminum cans. The standard returnable bottle requires significant investment behind our returnable bottle inventory and bottling equipment. The trend away from returnable bottles could result in higher fixed cost deleverage related to these assets and an ultimate decreased need for the assets that support this packaging, which could adversely impact profitability.

Stainless steel kegs:

•	A limited number of kegs are purchased every year, and we have no long-term supply commitment.

Crowns are currently sourced from one major supplier with a contract through December 2021. Paperboard and labels are currently sourced from one supplier each with contracts through December 2020 and December 2021, respectively. Corrugate is purchased from a small number of sources with contracts through December 2020 and March 2021. We do not currently anticipate future difficulties in accessing any of our required packaging materials in the near term.

Contract Manufacturing

We have an agreement with North American Breweries, Inc. ("NAB") to brew and package certain Labatt brands for export to the U.S. market.

Seasonality of Business

Total industry volume in Canada is sensitive to factors such as weather, changes in demographics, consumer preferences and drinking occasions. Weather conditions consisting of high temperatures and extended periods of warm and dry weather favor increased consumption of our products, while unseasonably cool or wet weather, especially during the summer months, adversely affects our sales volumes and net sales. Accordingly, consumption of beer in Canada is seasonal, with approximately 40% of industry sales volume typically occurring during the warmer months from May through August.

Known Trends and Competitive Conditions

2019 Canada Beer Industry Overview

The Canadian brewing industry is a mature market and ABI and MCBC are the two largest brewers. It is characterized by aggressive competition for volume and market share from regional brewers, microbrewers and certain foreign brewers, as well as our main domestic competitor. These competitive pressures require significant annual investment in marketing and selling activities. In 2019, the Ontario and Québec markets accounted for approximately 62% of the total beer market in Canada.

There are three major beer price segments: above premium, which includes craft and most imports; premium, which includes the majority of domestic brands and the light sub-segment; and value (below premium). Since 2001, the premium beer segment in Canada has gradually lost volume to the above premium and value segments.

The beer industry has declined in five of the last six years. Aging population and competition from other alcohol beverages have been the main contributors to the declining state of the beer industry.

The following table summarizes the estimated percentage market share by volume of beer (including adjacencies, such as cider) and other alcohol beverages, including wine and spirits, as a component of the overall Canadian alcohol market over the last five years, for which data is currently available. We anticipate that 2019 data, when available, will reflect a continuation of the recent consumer trends. Note that percentages reflect estimates based on market data currently available.

	2018			2017			2016			2015			2014
Beer	48	%		47	%		47	%		48	%		48	%
Other alcohol beverages	52	%		53	%		53	%		52	%		52	%

Our Competitive Position

Our brands compete with competitor beer brands and other alcohol beverages, including wine and spirits, and thus our competitive position is affected by consumer preferences among these other categories. Our brand portfolio gives us strong representation in all major beer segments.

The following table summarizes the estimated percentage share of the Canadian beer market represented by MCBC, ABI and all other brewers over the last five years. Current year percentages reflect estimates based on market data currently available.

	2019			2018			2017			2016			2015
MCBC's share	31	%		32	%		33	%		33	%		34	%
ABI's share	41	%		42	%		42	%		43	%		43	%
Others' share	28	%		26	%		25	%		24	%		23	%

Regulation

In Canada, provincial governments regulate the production, marketing, distribution, selling and pricing of beer (including the establishment of minimum prices), and impose commodity taxes and license fees in relation to the production, distribution and sale of beer. In addition, the federal government regulates the advertising, labeling, quality control, and international trade of beer, and also imposes commodity taxes on both domestically produced and imported beer. In 2019, our Canada segment excise taxes were approximately $52 per hectoliter sold on a reported basis. Further, certain bilateral and multilateral treaties entered into by the federal government, provincial governments and certain foreign governments, especially with the United States, affect the Canadian beer industry.

Europe Segment

•	Headquarters: Burton-on-Trent, U.K.

•	Approximately 6,600 employees as of December 31, 2019

•	Europe's second largest brewer by volume, on a combined basis, within the European countries in which we operate, with an approximate aggregate 19% market share (excluding factored products) in 2019

•	Currently operating twelve primary breweries, eight craft breweries and one cidery

The majority of our European segment sales are in the U.K., Croatia, Czech Republic and Romania. Our portfolio includes beers that have the largest share in their respective countries, such as Carling in the U.K., Ozujsko in Croatia, Jelen in Serbia and Niksicko in Montenegro. We have beers that rank in the top three in market share in their respective segments throughout the region, such as Kamenitza in Bulgaria and Borsodi in Hungary*.* Additionally, we sell Staropramen and Miller Genuine Draft in various European countries. Our Europe segment includes our consolidated joint venture arrangement for the production and distribution of Cobra brands in the U.K. and the Republic of Ireland and factored brand sales (beverage brands owned by other companies, but sold and delivered to retail by us).

In January 2018, we purchased Aspall Cider Limited in the U.K., which is a premium top ten cider in the U.K. In June 2019, we purchased a majority stake in Pardubicky Pivovar in the Czech Republic and in July 2019, we purchased the trade and assets of Hop Stuff Brewery in the U.K., as part of our continued strategy to expand our craft beer portfolio.

Sales and Distribution

In Europe, beer is generally distributed through either a two-tier system consisting of manufacturers and retailers, or a three-tier system consisting of manufacturers, distributors and retailers. Distribution activities for both the on-premise and off-premise channels are conducted primarily by third-party logistics providers. Most of our beer in the U.K. is sold directly to retailers. We have an agreement with Tradeteam Ltd. ("Tradeteam", a subsidiary of DHL) to provide the distribution of our products throughout the U.K. until April 2029. We utilize several hundred third-party logistics providers across our Central European operations. We also conduct a small amount of secondary distribution in Czech Republic utilizing our own fleet of vehicles. It is also common in the U.K. for brewers to distribute beer, wine, spirits, and other products owned and produced by other companies, which we refer to as factored brands, to the on-premise channel (bars and restaurants). Approximately 17% of our Europe segment net sales in 2019 represented factored brands. In addition, we have an agreement with Heineken whereby they sell, market and distribute Coors Light in the Republic of Ireland, as well as agreements with ABI to brew and distribute Beck's, Stella Artois, Lowenbrau and Spaten and to distribute Hoegaarden, Leffe, and Corona in Central Europe.

Channels

In Europe, the on-premise channel includes sales to pubs and restaurants. The installation and maintenance of draught beer dispensing equipment in the on-premise channel is generally the responsibility of the brewer. Accordingly, we own refrigeration units and other equipment used to dispense beer from kegs to consumers that are used in on-premise outlets. This includes beer lines, cooling equipment, taps, and counter mounts.

The off-premise channel includes sales to supermarkets, convenience stores, liquor stores, distributors, and wholesalers. Over the last few years, the off-premise channel has become increasingly concentrated among a small number of super-store chains.

Generally, over the years, industry volumes in Europe have shifted from the higher margin on-premise channel, where products are consumed in pubs and restaurants, to the lower margin off-premise channel, also referred to as the "take-home" market. In 2019, approximately 40% of sales were on-premise and 60% were off-premise. Consistent with prior years, the on-premise channel has continued to experience declines from shifting consumer preference to off-premise partially due to smoking bans in many countries.

Manufacturing, Production and Packaging

Brewing Raw Materials

We use high quality ingredients to brew our products. During 2019, our malt requirements were sourced from third-party suppliers. We have multiple agreements with various suppliers that cover almost all of our total required malt, with terms ending in 2020 through 2026. Hops are purchased under various contracts with suppliers in Germany, the U.S. and the U.K., which cover our requirements through 2020. Adjuncts are purchased under various contracts with local producers, which are typically crop year contracts commencing in October of each year. Water used in the brewing process is sourced from various wells and through water rights and supply contracts. We do not currently anticipate future difficulties in accessing required water or agricultural products used in our brewing process in the near term.

Packaging Materials

The following summarizes the percentage of our Europe segment's packaging materials by type for the year ended December 31, 2019.

Bottles:

•	A significant majority of glass returnable bottles are sourced under various agreements with third-party suppliers.

Kegs:

•	A limited number of kegs are purchased each year from various suppliers, and we have no long-term supply commitment. We are currently in the process of signing new agreements which would cover all of our requirements for kegs in 2020.

Cans:

•	We have long-term agreements with various suppliers that cover all of our required supply of cans, with terms ending in 2020 through 2023.

Recyclable plastic containers:

•	We have multiple agreements with various manufacturers in the region, covering 100% of our requirements which expire in 2021. We do not currently anticipate any issues in renegotiating and extending contracts or in otherwise being able to access recyclable plastic containers.

Crowns, labels and corrugate are purchased from sources unique to each category. We do not currently foresee future difficulties in accessing these or other packaging materials in the near term.

Seasonality of Business

In Europe, the beer industry is subject to seasonal sales fluctuations primarily influenced by holidays, weather and by certain major televised sporting events. Weather conditions consisting of high temperatures and extended periods of warm and dry weather favor increased consumption of our products, while unseasonably cool or wet weather, especially during the summer months, adversely affects our sales volumes and net sales. Accordingly, the peak selling seasons typically occur during the summer and during the Christmas and New Year holiday season.

Known Trends and Competitive Conditions

2019 Europe Beer Industry Overview

Based on current data, we estimate that the Europe beer market will be nearly flat in 2019 compared to 2018. Since 2010, the off-premise market share has increased in our European markets from 55% to nearly 60% of total volume, and the on-premise market share has declined from 45% to just over 40%. Europe beer industry retail shipments have fluctuated by approximately 1% to 2% annually over the last five years. These market fluctuations are consistent with the fluctuations within the overall alcohol market in each of the respective years.

Our beers compete not only with similar products from competitors, but also with other alcohol beverages, including wines and spirits. The following table summarizes the estimated percentage market share by volume of beer and other alcohol beverages, including wine and spirits, as a component of the overall European alcohol market, within the countries in which we have production facilities, over the last five years, for which data is currently available. We anticipate that 2019 data, when available, will reflect a continuation of the recent consumer trends. Note that percentages reflect estimates based on market data currently available.

	2018			2017			2016			2015			2014
Beer	29	%		29	%		30	%		30	%		30	%
Other alcohol beverages	71	%		71	%		70	%		70	%		70	%

Our Competitive Position

In European countries where we currently operate, our primary competitors are Heineken, Asahi, ABI and Carlsberg. We believe our brand portfolio gives us strong representation in all major beer categories. The following table summarizes our estimated percentage share of the beer market within the European countries where we operate and our primary competitors over the last five years. Note that current year percentages reflect estimates based on market data currently available.

	2019			2018			2017			2016			2015
MCBC's share	19	%		20	%		20	%		20	%		20	%
Primary competitors' share	56	%		56	%		56	%		57	%		56	%
Others' share	25	%		24	%		24	%		23	%		24	%

Regulation

Each country that is part of our Europe segment is either a member of the European Union ("EU") or a current candidate to join, with the exception of Bosnia, which is a potential candidate, and the U.K., which exited the EU on January 31, 2020. As such, there are similarities in the regulations that apply to many parts of our Europe segment's operations and products, including brewing, food safety, labeling and packaging, marketing and advertising, environmental, health and safety, employment and data protection regulations. To operate breweries and conduct our business in Europe, we must obtain and maintain numerous permits and licenses from various governmental agencies.

The U.K. exited the EU on January 31, 2020, which subjects our Europe segment to regulatory and market uncertainty as the U.K. remains in the EU customs union and single market until December 31, 2020, while the full terms of future trade agreements continue to be negotiated. See Part I—Item 1A Risk Factors under "Risks Specific to the Europe Segment" for further discussion of the risks specific to the U.K.'s exit from the EU.

Each country's government levies excise taxes on all alcohol beverages. With the exception of Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia, all countries' laws on excise taxes are consistent with the directives of the EU. With the exception of Serbia, where a flat excise per hectoliter is used, all European countries use similar measurements based on either alcohol by volume or Plato degrees. The EU Excise Directives are currently under review which may result in all jurisdictions being required to account by reference to alcohol by volume. In 2019, the excise taxes for our Europe segment were approximately $44 per hectoliter on a reported basis. Refer to Part I—Item 1A, Risk Factors for risks associated with the regulatory environment in Europe.

International Segment

•	Headquarters: Denver, Colorado (transitioning to North America operational headquarters in Chicago, Illinois, with Asia Pacific business transitioning to European headquarters in Burton-on-Trent, U.K. in 2020)

•	Approximately 400 employees as of December 31, 2019

•	International beer markets, including emerging markets in Latin America, Asia Pacific and Africa

•	Currently operating under export models, local third-party contract manufacturing and license agreements, as well as owned breweries, which brew and package brands sold in India

Our International segment strategy is centered on our focus markets and focus brands. Our focus brands are Coors Light, Miller Lite and Miller Genuine Draft, which are aligned with global priority brands and account for the majority of our volumes. The International segment's portfolio of beers competes within the above premium category in most of our markets. Our principal competitors include large global brewers, as well as local brewers. As our International segment's objective is to grow and expand our business, we are developing scale and building market share in the countries where we operate. Many of the markets in which we operate are considered emerging beer markets, with other brewers controlling the majority of the

market share. Our beers compete not only with similar products from competitors, but also with other alcohol beverages, including wines, spirits, and ciders, and thus our competitive position is affected by consumer preferences between and among these other categories.

As part of the acquisition of the Miller International Business, which we acquired in the fourth quarter of 2016, we entered into various Transitional Service Agreements (“TSAs”) with local SABMiller and now ABI owned entities for services including the selling, distribution and production of Miller brands. We have successfully created a presence and commercial routes to market and have established alternative production arrangements related to the Miller brands.

Latin America

In Latin America, we use a combination of export models and license agreements to sell Blue Moon, Coors Light, Miller Genuine Draft, Miller High Life, Miller Lite and other brands. In our export model markets, we import beer from the U.S. and sell it through agreements with independent distributors. In license markets, we have established exclusive licensing agreements with brewers and distributors for the manufacturing and distribution of our products. In certain of our markets, we rely on a combination of these agreements.

Asia Pacific and Africa

Our operations in the Asia Pacific region include markets such as Australia, India, Japan and South Korea. Our business in India consists primarily of operations in the states of Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh. Our consolidated India business produces, markets and sells a beer portfolio consisting of Thunderbolt, Miller Ace, Miller High Life and Carling Strong. We own three breweries in India (one of which is currently not operational as a result of the State of Bihar, India’s enactment of total alcohol prohibition in 2016), where we use high quality ingredients to brew our products, which are sourced through various contracts with local suppliers. We do not currently anticipate any significant disruption in the supply of these raw materials or brewing inputs in the near term.

Our Japan business imports our brands and sells through independent wholesalers. Our focus is on the marketing and selling of the Blue Moon, Coors Light, Singha and Zima brands. In Australia, we license our brands to a local partner that distributes locally produced and imported products including Blue Moon, Miller Genuine Draft, Miller Chill and other products for us. In South Korea, our brands include Blue Moon, Coors Light, Miller Genuine Draft and Miller Lite and are imported and sold through an independent distributor.

In Africa, we sell Miller Genuine Draft in South Africa and Zambia. Miller Genuine Draft is produced in South Africa and sold through a local license agreement. During the first half of 2018, we decided to formally exit our business in China and, during 2019, we completed the liquidation of this business.

Corporate

Corporate is not a reportable segment and primarily includes interest and certain other general and administrative costs that are not allocated to any of the operating segments. The majority of these corporate costs relate to worldwide administrative functions, such as corporate affairs, legal, human resources, information technology, finance, internal audit, insurance, ethics and compliance, risk management, global growth, supply chain and commercial initiatives, as well as acquisition, integration and financing costs. Additionally, Corporate includes the results of our water resources and energy operations in Colorado as well as the unrealized changes in fair value on our commodity swaps not designated in hedging relationships recorded within cost of goods sold, which are subsequently reclassified when realized to the segment in which the underlying exposure resides.

Other Information

Global Intellectual Property

We own trademarks on the majority of the brands we produce and have licenses for the remainder. We also hold several patent and design registrations with expiration dates through 2038 relating to brewing methods, beer dispensing systems, packaging and certain other innovations. We are not reliant on patent royalties for our financial success. Therefore, these expirations are not expected to have a significant impact on our business.

Sustainability

We believe in producing a beer we can be proud of, from barley to bottle. Our Beer Print is MCBC's approach to sustainability and the right way to grow our business. Our Beer Print is integral to how we will build long-term value for society and our shareholders, while leaving a positive imprint on our communities, on our environment and on our business.

We have a long legacy of leaving a positive imprint on the environment and our community. MCBC has been recognized on the Dow Jones Sustainability North America Index for nine consecutive years for our sustainability performance.

In 2012, MCBC became a charter member of the International Alliance for Responsible Drinking ("IARD"). This collaborative industry body represents the 11 largest global brewers, distillers and vintners, and partners with public sector, civil society and private stakeholders. IARD works with governments globally to target a 10% reduction in harmful use of alcohol by 2025.

In 2017, we launched Our Beer Print 2025 agenda, Raising the Bar on Beer, a new sustainability strategy for MCBC and a set of ambitious goals to take us to 2025. We focused our efforts where we can have the most positive impact on our business and society. We established goals across three pillars - Responsibly Refreshing, Sustainable Brewing and Collectively Crafted - that aim to address the expectations of our consumers and stakeholders, while we continue to make our operations even more resource efficient and resilient.

In 2019, we added new global packaging goals to our 2025 agenda, aiming for our packaging to be reusable, recyclable, compostable or biodegradable. We are also strengthening our goals to drive down packaging emissions, use more recycled materials in our plastic packaging and improve recycling solutions in our key markets by 2025. More information about Our Beer Print 2025 agenda can be found on our sustainability website, www.OurBeerPrint.com, which includes:

•	Our Beer Print Report 2019, which presents the most recent progress made against our 2025 goals and highlights our recently launched packaging goals;

•	ESG (Environment, Social and Governance) Report 2019, which includes more details on the underlying data, processes and policies that support ESG topics; and

•	SDG (Sustainability Development Goals) Impact Report 2019, which shows how MCBC is taking action to contribute to the 17 global goals set forth by the United Nations by 2030.

The information provided on our website (or any other website referred to in this report) is not part of this report and is not incorporated by reference as part of this report.

Environmental Matters

Our operations are subject to a variety of extensive and changing federal, state and local environmental laws, regulations and ordinances that govern activities or operations that may have an impact on human health or the environment. Such laws, regulations or ordinances may impose liability for the cost of remediation, and for certain damages resulting from sites of past releases of hazardous materials. Our policy is to comply with all such legal requirements. While we cannot predict our eventual aggregate cost for the environmental and related matters in which we may be or are currently involved, we believe that any payments, if required, for these matters would be made over a period of time in amounts that would not be material in any one year to our operating results, cash flows, or our financial or competitive position. We believe adequate reserves have been provided for losses that are probable and estimable. However, there can be no assurance that environmental laws will not become more stringent in the future or that we will not incur material costs in the future in order to comply with such laws. See Part II—Item 8 Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, Note 18, "Commitments and Contingencies" under the caption "Environmental" for additional information regarding environmental matters.

Employees

As of the end of 2019, we employed approximately 17,700 employees within our business globally. Specifically, we employed approximately 7,300 within our U.S. segment, 6,600 within our Europe segment, 2,600 within our Canada segment, 400 within our International segment, 200 within our Corporate headquarters in Colorado and 600 within our Global Business Services center. Under our recently announced revitalization plan the company is consolidating business units and offices to streamline the organization and find savings that will be reinvested back into the business. After taking into account all changes in each of the business units, including Europe, the plan is expected to reduce employment levels, in aggregate, by approximately 500 to 600 employees globally. The company expects the costs associated with the restructuring to be substantially recognized by the end of fiscal year 2021.

Available Information

We file with, or furnish to, the SEC reports, including our annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act. These reports are available free of charge via EDGAR through the SEC website (www.sec.gov) and are also available free of charge on our corporate website (www.molsoncoors.com) as soon as reasonably practicable after they are electronically filed with or furnished to the SEC. The foregoing website addresses are provided as inactive textual references only. The information provided on our website (or any other website referred to in this report) is not part of this report and is not incorporated by reference as part of this report.

Information About Our Executive Officers

The following table sets forth certain information regarding our executive officers as of February 12, 2020:

Name		Age		Position
Gavin D.K. Hattersley		57		President and Chief Executive Officer
Tracey I. Joubert		53		Chief Financial Officer
Simon J. Cox		52		President and Chief Executive Officer, Molson Coors Europe
Peter J. Marino		47		President, Emerging Growth
E. Lee Reichert		53		Chief Legal and Government Affairs Officer
Michelle E. St. Jacques		42		Chief Marketing Officer