MillerCoors Striking College Sponsorship Deals With 23 Schools

MillerCoors is extending its reach into college sports by striking deals with 23 schools, including blue-chippers like Arizona State, California, Clemson, Colorado, Penn State and Washington. Some of the schools represent renewals of deals that have been in place for years, while other schools either did not have a sponsor in the beer category or have switched from a competitor to MillerCoors. More schools are expected to come on board as the beer company adds to its list of sponsorships. Terms of the deals were not announced, but industry sources believe that combined they are worth in excess of $10M a year.

MillerCoors is in the process of developing an integrated plan that includes heavy responsibility messaging, hospitality, tickets, media buys and point-of-sale materials for its retail partners. MillerCoors VP/Media & Marketing Jackie Woodward said the company still is working with the schools to determine how much of the advertising will be responsibility-based, but she said it will be a significant portion of the program. Among the restrictions: MillerCoors cannot use school marks on its bottles, cans or any other packaging. The beer maker also cannot use actors to portray athletes or the likeness of an athlete in its promotional materials.