Tony Ponturo, one of the most powerful figures in media and sports marketing, will retire from Anheuser-Busch at year’s end. Ponturo, VP-Global Media & Sports Marketing, has been responsible for managing A-B’s hundreds of millions of marketing dollars—the company spends more than $100 million annually on the NFL alone—and, in part, for its embrace of online marketing and sports streaming. Ponturo was involved in the ill-fated Bud.TV, which he admitted fell flat in its effort to “hip and cool.” Ponturo exits after 26 years A-B heads towards ownership by InBev, a massive transaction approved by A-B shareholders last week. A-B has offered early retirement to numerous executives as part of the transition. (via SBD.)