Under the terms of the deal, reportedly worth US$375 million, SABMiller has acquired exclusive association rights in the NHL’s beer category, starting with the 2011-12 season. While Molson Canadian will be the lead brand on the NHL alliance in both countries, Coors Light will share some of the sponsorship assets in the US and Canada.
The deal means that Anheuser-Busch and Labatt’s will see their respective agreements in the US and Canada come to an end in June. In the National Football League (NFL), MillerCoors was replaced as the official beer sponsor by Anheuser-Busch’s Bud Light last May.
“This partnership with Molson Coors and MillerCoors will be groundbreaking for the NHL and our fans,” said John Collins, the NHL’s chief operating officer. “Molson Canadian is an iconic brand with a rich hockey heritage and Coors Light has a track record of connecting with sports fans in innovative and effective ways.”
Collins added: “The combination of unprecedented support of our clubs and TV rights-holders with activation across the NHL's comprehensive portfolio of marketing and media assets will create great opportunities for both brands.”
In addition to becoming the official beer sponsor of the NHL, Molson Canadian will gain the same distinction for key League events such as the NHL Face-Off, NHL Winter Classic, NHL Heritage Classic and NHL All-Star.
