The Pittsburgh Steelers football stadium has been named Heinz Field since its opening season in 2001, but that will no longer be the case after the Pittsburgh-based condiment maker Kraft Heinz did not extend its sponsorship deal with the Steelers.
Beginning in the 2022 NFL season, the Steelers‘ stadium will be called Acrisure Stadium, named after the Michigan-based insurance brokerage firm Acrisure, which signed a sponsorship deal with the Steelers.
The news came as quite a surprise for Steelers fans and NFL fans alike, with some even insisting they continue to call the stadium Heinz Field even after the deal’s expiration. But now we know the real reason for the sudden name change – the price tag was just too high for Heinz.
“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 Kraft Heinz Company said in a statement.
Even though the Steelers’ stadium will no longer bear the company’s name, Heinz will continue to have a presence around the Steelers’ organization as a long-time sponsor of the team.
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,” the company’s statement said. “Kraft Heinz is committed to its ongoing support of the Steelers and the Pittsburgh community, in a city that is our co-headquarters.”
[Kraft]
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