MillerCoors CMO Andy England would like the company "to sponsor every major sports property in Chicago," according to Danny Ecker of CRAIN'S CHICAGO BUSINESS. The company currently has deals with the White Sox and MLS Fire, and "recently renewed contracts" with the Bears and Chicagoland Speedway. But he will "make a play to snag a deal" with the Bulls, Blackhawks and the United Center "when their agreement with Anheuser-Busch InBev N.V. expires" at the end of '16. He also will seek to make a deal "more imminently" with the Cubs, whose contract with A-B "runs through the end of this year." Combined with the company's sponsorship of this summer's CONCACAF Gold Cup finals at Soldier Field in late July, the recently renewed deals are "part of its goal of maintaining a strong grip on local sports." England "likes the position he's in to target the Chicago Latino market through the Bears, White Sox and especially the Fire, which estimates that 40 percent of its fan base is Hispanic." He said, "If you're going to win, you're going to win with Latinos. It really is that simple" (CHICAGOBUSINESS.com, 4/17).
