Cubs, Under Armour Reach Deal To Place Ads On Outfield Wall

Under Armour Inks Wrigley Field Signage Deal With Cubs

The Cubs have struck a three-year sponsorship deal with Under Armour to place two 7-by-12-foot signs on the Wrigley Field outfield doors, the first corporate advertising to be placed among the famed brick-and-ivy outfield wall in the stadium’s 93-year history. The deal arrives after nearly three years of pursuit by the Maryland-based apparel and footwear company, with negotiations picking up considerably last fall after John McDonough replaced Andy MacPhail as the day-to-day leader of the franchise. Financial terms were not disclosed, but Cubs Dir of Marketing & Sales Jay Blunk branded the deal as fiscally “healthy, very good for all sides.” Blunk said, “We’re hoping the fans understand that the money we’re generating is going to payroll and that we’re absolutely committed to building a winner.” He added, “We’re working to keep Wrigley Field from becoming financially obsolete.” Under Armour, which will also be part of the rotational signage behind home plate added at the ballpark three years ago, counts new Cubs LF Alfonso Soriano among its more prominent endorsers, and it recently released its first line of baseball cleats. “The Cubs are looking to forge a new direction, and though we’ve been after this for a while, this is an ideal time to get involved,” said Under Armour VP/Brand Steve Battista. “It wasn’t quite the right fit before. But between the path they’re forging, the connection to [Soriano], and our line of cleats, the pieces now come together” (Eric Fisher, SportsBusiness Journal).

SUBTLE CHANGES: Blunk said of placing ads on Wrigley Field’s outfield walls, “We always have the tradition and the ambience of Wrigley Field in mind, and rather than make bold changes, we try to make subtle changes that deliver high impact with regard to revenue and television exposure to sponsors, yet have low impact on the visual quality of Wrigley Field” (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 2/15). Blunk added, “We’re not putting up giant billboards. We’re taking things that are already there and changing them and gradually adjusting so we can compete” (MLB.com, 2/14).