The Chicago Cubs have signed a multiyear naming-rights agreement with Illinois-based insurance brokerage and risk management firm Gallagher for the club’s year-old Park at Wrigley.
The outdoor entertainment plaza adjacent to Wrigley Field will be renamed Gallagher Way. The deal also includes the ballpark’s Western Gate and left field bullpen door. When the Cubs have a lead, a new video-board feature will brand late-inning Cubs runs as Gallagher insurance runs.
Financial terms were not disclosed, but the deal is a landmark Legacy Partnership, the Cubs’ top sponsorship tier. Those deals typically include commitments of at least a decade and seven-figure annual spends. Sources said the deal is similar to low-end MLB ballpark naming-rights deals.
The agreement was brokered between the Cubs’ Marquee Sports & Entertainment and Gallagher’s senior management.
“We found a lot of compatibility with Gallagher’s leadership, particularly as it relates to giving back to the community and what we want to do with the plaza,” said Colin Faulkner, Marquee vice president and Cubs senior vice president of sales and marketing.
Gallagher’s prior sports sponsorship activity has included support of Chip Ganassi Racing in IndyCar.
“We’ve been involved in sports before, but we’re excited to participate now in a different way,” said Christopher Mead, Gallagher chief marketing officer. “And we really like what this plaza represents. It’s in sports, but it also transcends sports.”
