Left Wing
2022-07-12 18:46:17 UTC
Since opening its doors in August 2001, the NFL stadium in Pittsburgh has
only had one name: Heinz Field. However, that will now be changing after
Monday's surprising announcement that Acrisure will be taking over the
naming rights to the stadium.
The company signed a 15-year deal, which means that from now until at
least the end of the 2036 season, the Steelers' home will be known as
Acrisure Stadium.
The fact that Heinz originally bought the naming rights made a lot of
sense and that's because the company is a Pittsburgh institution. It was
founded in Pennsylvania and has its headquarters in Pittsburgh.
So why did Heinz give up on the naming rights after holding them for 20
years? The company explained the situation on Monday, and apparently, like
most things in life, it all came down to money.
"While we worked diligently with the Steelers for several months around a
new naming rights deal, they found a new partner willing to pay
significantly more than we could justify," the company said in a
statement.
When Heinz originally bought the naming rights in 2001, they agreed to a
20-year deal that called for them to pay a total of $57 million, which
means they were paying $2.85 million per year. According to Andrew
Fillipponi of 93.7 The Fan in Pittsburgh, Acrisure will be paying "more
than" $10 million per year under the new deal. That's a substantial
increase that Heinz just wasn't willing to pay.
Although Heinz is losing its name from the stadium, it will still be
partnering with the Steelers.
"Pittsburgh is the city where H.J. Heinz was born and where he launched
what is now an iconic, global brand. The Steelers are a legendary
franchise, and together with Heinz are a winning combination that
represent some of the best of Pittsburgh," the company's statement said.
"While our name will no longer be on the stadium, Heinz will remain a
significant, long-term sponsor of the Steelers and we're excited to
announce the details of our new partnership in the days ahead. Kraft Heinz
is committed to its ongoing support of the Steelers and the Pittsburgh
community, in a city that is our co-headquarters."
Now that the stadium name is changing, it's probably for the best that Ben
Roethlisberger retired because it seems like he's pretty set on calling it
Heinz Field for the rest of time.
https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/steelers-stadium-stunner-heres-why-
heinz-surprisingly-gave-up-on-naming-rights-after-20-years/
only had one name: Heinz Field. However, that will now be changing after
Monday's surprising announcement that Acrisure will be taking over the
naming rights to the stadium.
The company signed a 15-year deal, which means that from now until at
least the end of the 2036 season, the Steelers' home will be known as
Acrisure Stadium.
The fact that Heinz originally bought the naming rights made a lot of
sense and that's because the company is a Pittsburgh institution. It was
founded in Pennsylvania and has its headquarters in Pittsburgh.
So why did Heinz give up on the naming rights after holding them for 20
years? The company explained the situation on Monday, and apparently, like
most things in life, it all came down to money.
"While we worked diligently with the Steelers for several months around a
new naming rights deal, they found a new partner willing to pay
significantly more than we could justify," the company said in a
statement.
When Heinz originally bought the naming rights in 2001, they agreed to a
20-year deal that called for them to pay a total of $57 million, which
means they were paying $2.85 million per year. According to Andrew
Fillipponi of 93.7 The Fan in Pittsburgh, Acrisure will be paying "more
than" $10 million per year under the new deal. That's a substantial
increase that Heinz just wasn't willing to pay.
Although Heinz is losing its name from the stadium, it will still be
partnering with the Steelers.
"Pittsburgh is the city where H.J. Heinz was born and where he launched
what is now an iconic, global brand. The Steelers are a legendary
franchise, and together with Heinz are a winning combination that
represent some of the best of Pittsburgh," the company's statement said.
"While our name will no longer be on the stadium, Heinz will remain a
significant, long-term sponsor of the Steelers and we're excited to
announce the details of our new partnership in the days ahead. Kraft Heinz
is committed to its ongoing support of the Steelers and the Pittsburgh
community, in a city that is our co-headquarters."
Now that the stadium name is changing, it's probably for the best that Ben
Roethlisberger retired because it seems like he's pretty set on calling it
Heinz Field for the rest of time.
https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/steelers-stadium-stunner-heres-why-
heinz-surprisingly-gave-up-on-naming-rights-after-20-years/