Although Anheuser-Busch has been the official beer of the
NHL since August '94, there are currently 14 NHL teams which have
sponsorship deals with either Miller or Molson. A-B's VP of
Corporate Media/Sports Marketing Tony Ponturo told THE SPORTS
BUSINESS DAILY that they knew going into the league agreement
that several teams already had local deals, and admitted they
would like to increase the number of teams who are sponsored by
A-B. Ponturo: "When we did the deal with the NHL, they were
very up front with what they knew they could deliver. ... We
would like to have a better position in cities like Detroit, San
Jose, Chicago and Pittsburgh. And in a case with a team like the
Avalanche, where McNichols Arena already had an existing deal
with Miller, we'll just have to wait to be competitive when the
new arena is built."
CANADIAN MARKETS: With all seven of the league's Canadian
teams sponsored by Molson, A-B's deal with the NHL is a U.S.-
based "league-wide" sponsorship. Molson has a long history with
hockey in Canada, and Ponturo noted that their aim was to
"establish our brands in a big way here in the U.S." Ponturo, on
Molson's Canadian dominance: "There's no delusion on our part.
I say league-wide, but it's utilizing it in the United States."
RELATIONSHIP WITH THE NHL: A-B's official beer status
provides them the rights to merchandise the association with the
NHL, official logo rights relative to the NHL shield, the All-
Star Game logo (when it is played in a U.S. city) and collective
use of all team logos. A-B is also the exclusive beer sponsor on
Fox NHL broadcasts, which gives them rights to in-ice signage and
dasher boards, in addition to sponsoring the MVP award at the
All-Star Game.
FROM MILLER'S VIEWPOINT: Miller Brewing Manager of Sports
Marketing Steve Lauletta stressed the importance of the "local
market" and added that if there is potential for success through
an association with a team, then Miller would be willing to
become a sponsor at that level. Lauletta noted that Miller is
not targeting individual teams just because their competitor is
the league sponsor. Lauletta: "If it makes sense then we'll do
it. If it didn't, then we wouldn't." Ponturo said that Miller
"is not bashful" and that he expects them to work with Molson
(Molson USA is a subsidiary of Miller brewing) where possible in
the NHL's Canadian markets (THE DAILY).
