Heinz Field no longer; Steelers rename stadium
The Pittsburgh Steelers announced their home stadium will no longer be called Heinz Field and will now be known as Acrisure…
PITTSBURGH — Big changes are coming to the Pittsburgh Steelers‘ home venue.
Known as Heinz Field since it opened in 2001, the stadium will be known as Acrisure Stadium beginning this season, the team announced Monday.
Terms of the new 15-year deal were not released. But Acrisure, which operates as a top-10 global insurance broker, has grown its revenue to more than $3.8 billion in just over eight years. It also has the naming rights to an indoor arena being constructed near Palm Springs, California.
“We are excited to partner with Acrisure for the naming rights to our stadium,” Steelers president Art Rooney II said. “Acrisure provided us with an opportunity to ensure our stadium continues to be a valuable asset for our fans as well as keeping up with the market value of NFL stadiums.”
Heinz, headquartered in Pittsburgh, initially signed a 20-year deal for naming rights to Heinz Field for $57 million in 2001 and extended it through the 2021 season.
“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. 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 Kraft Heinz Company said in a statement.
Rooney had been “optimistic” the stadium would keep its name earlier this year, but ultimately, Kraft Heinz didn’t extend its naming rights again. Still, on Monday, Heinz posted a social media message — with a highlight reel — assuring Pittsburgh fans the partnership would continue, which raises the question of the future of the ketchup bottles.
The name may be changing, but this is not goodbye. Pittsburgh will always be home for Heinz! Our partnership continues and we’re excited for the future and looking forward to next season. Until then, share your #HeinzFieldHighlights with us. pic.twitter.com/3Cq8DC2F1L
— H.J. Heinz & Co. (@HeinzTweets) July 11, 2022
Two iconic ketchup bottles currently flank the stadium’s video board. When the Steelers reach the red zone, an illuminated red current of ketchup appears to flow from the bottles and into the video board.
Kraft and Heinz merged to form the Kraft Heinz Company in 2015, and the two are co-headquartered in Chicago and Pittsburgh.
Acrisure, meanwhile, is a Michigan-based insurance brokerage. And though the company doesn’t appear to have the same local ties to Pittsburgh as Heinz, Acrisure recently acquired part of Tulco, a tech company based in Pittsburgh and founded by Thomas Tull, a minority owner of the Steelers. After the 2020 acquisition, Tull became chairman of the Acrisure Technology Group.
“This is great partnership and will have a tremendous impact on both organizations as well as the greater Pittsburgh community. The Steelers and Acrisure share the same core values of winning and excellence and I could not be prouder to be partnered with both,” Tull said in a statement.
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