PITTSBURGH – Big changes are approaching at the Pittsburgh Steelers headquarters.
Known as Heinz Field since it opened in 2001, the stadium will be known as Acrisure Stadium from this season, the team announced Monday.
The terms of the new 15-year agreement were not published. But Acrisure, which operates as one of the top 10 insurance brokers in the world, has increased its revenue to more than $ 3.8 billion in just over eight years. It also has the naming rights for an indoor track that is being built near Palm Springs, California.
“We are delighted to partner with Acrisure for the naming rights to our stadium,” Steelers president Art Rooney II said. “Acrisure offered us the opportunity to ensure that our stadium continues to be a valuable asset to our fans, as well as keeping up with the market value of NFL stadiums.”
Pittsburgh-based Heinz initially signed a 20-year deal to name Heinz Field rights for $ 57 million in 2001 and extended it until the 2021 season.
“Although we worked diligently with the Steelers for a few months around a new denomination rights agreement, they found a new partner willing to pay much more than we could justify. Although our name will no longer be at the stadium, Heinz will continue to be an important long-term sponsor of the Steelers and we are pleased to announce the details of our new partnership in the coming days, “Kraft Heinz Company said in a statement.
Rooney had been “optimistic” that the stadium would retain its name earlier this year, but eventually Kraft Heinz did not expand his naming rights again. However, on Monday, Heinz posted a message on social media, with a prominent reel, assuring Pittsburgh fans that the collaboration would continue, raising the question of the future of ketchup bottles.
The name may be changing, but that’s not a goodbye. Pittsburgh will always be the home of Heinz! Our partnership continues and we are excited about the future and looking forward to next season. Until then, share your #HeinzFieldHighlights with us. pic.twitter.com/3Cq8DC2F1L
– HJ Heinz & Co. (@HeinzTweets) July 11, 2022
Currently, two iconic ketchup bottles flank the stadium’s video board. When the Steelers reach the red zone, it looks like an illuminated red stream of ketchup flows from the bottles and onto the video card.
Kraft and Heinz merged to form the Kraft Heinz Company in 2015, and the two are headquartered in Chicago and Pittsburgh.
Acrisure, meanwhile, is a Michigan-based insurance broker. And while the company doesn’t appear to have the same local ties to Pittsburgh as Heinz, Acrisure recently acquired part of Tulco, a Pittsburgh-based technology company founded by Thomas Tull, a minority owner of the Steelers. Following the 2020 acquisition, Tull became chairman of the Acrisure technology group.
“This is a great partnership and will have a huge impact on both organizations as well as the larger Pittsburgh community. The Steelers and Acrisure share the same core values of victory and excellence and couldn’t be more proud of ‘being associated with both,’ Tull said. in a statement.