The White Sox have agreed to a three-year, seven-figure deal with Modelo Especial, now the "first official import beer" of the team, according to Greg Trotter of the CHICAGO TRIBUNE. The deal comes as the club ends its "longtime marketing partnership with Miller Brewing." A new bar called Casa Modelo will "open in the left field concourse this season, and Modelo will be advertised elsewhere at Guaranteed Rate Field." Partnering with Modelo, which is "already the second-largest beer brand in the Chicago market," gives the team an opportunity to "connect with a growing Latino fan base." White Sox Senior VP/Sales & Marketing Brooks Boyer said that about 15% of the team's fans who attend games are Hispanic, "more than double" the figure from '05, when the club last won the World Series. For Constellation Brands, Modelo's parent company, the deal "provides meaningful exposure for the Modelo brand as the company works to expand its popularity beyond its strong Latino core of consumers." Constellation has in recent years "struck similar sponsorship deals" with the Warriors, Nets, Rams and Angels. Constellation Beer Division VP/Brand Marketing Ann Legan said that the White Sox deal also allows Modelo to "use the team's brand in Modelo marketing materials outside of the ballpark." As part of the agreement, Modelo Especial will be the "presenting sponsor for Hispanic Heritage Night" on Sept. 22 (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 3/11).
