Molson Coors Brewing Co. (NYSE:TAP) struck two deals last week that mean local sports fans will be drinking its beers while watching live games.
The Vancouver Canadians announced a five-year deal with Molson Coors-owned Granville Island Brewing (GIB) on February 25. The pact means that fans who attend Northwest League of Professional Baseball games at Scotiabank Field at Nat Bailey Stadium will drink GIB suds.
GIB became Molson Coors-owned in 2009 when that beer giant’s subsidiary, Creemore Springs Brewery Ltd., bought GIB from Andrew Peller Ltd. (TSX:ADW.A) for an undisclosed price. (See “Granville Island Brewing to join Molson Coors empire” – issue 1044; October 27-November 2, 2009.)
The National Hockey League (NHL) also struck a deal with Molson Coors last week.
That deal means that the league’s contract with Labatt Breweries of Canada will come to an end after the 2010-2011 season.
“Labatt has been the official beer sponsor of the NHL in Canada for more than a decade and we began sponsorship renewal negotiations with the league several months ago to secure sponsorship rights," Charlie Angelakos, Labatt's vice-president of corporate affairs, said in a release.
The NHL’s partnership is with Molson Coors in Canada and MillerCoors in the U.S.
The partnership means that the company’s flagship brand, Molson Canadian, will get exclusive league rights in the beer sponsorship category, including the right to be designated the official beer of the NHL.
The beer will also get a raft of other designations such as the official beer of league events such as the NHL Winter Classic and the NHL Heritage Classic. Molson Coors will also be able to offer consumer promotions that involve the Stanley Cup.