Chicago Fire, Heineken join forces with sponsorship deal

Heineken will be a major presence at Toyota Park over the next few seasons.

The Fire on Wednesday announced a multi-year agreement to make Heineken the team’s official domestic, import and cider beer of the club. The pact begins in January and is believed to be a multi-million dollar deal.

Toyota Park’s Second Star Club will now carry Heineken’s name, and there will also be the Heineken Terrace group hospitality area. The pact is not a jersey sponsorship deal for the Fire, whose contract with Quaker ends at the end of the year.

Last month, Heineken became the official beer of MLS with a five-year deal reportedly worth $50 million. The Fire have had a relationship with Tecate, one of Heineken’s brands.

“We are incredibly excited to have Heineken, an iconic brand, as a partner of the Chicago Fire and to serve as an extension of their commitment to soccer in the United States,” Fire chief operating officer Atul Khosla said in a news release. “We look forward to bringing this partnership to life and enhancing the club experience for our supporters.”

“By partnering with (MLS) clubs we’re able to more directly connect with American soccer fans and provide them with a premium experience—and beer—they have come to expect from Heineken,” said Nuno Teles, Heineken’s chief marketing officer in a release. “We are known worldwide as a genuine soccer brand, and these partnerships will provide a direct platform to reach the soccer fans and fuel their passion for the game.”

As for the shirt sponsorship, last month Khosla said “stay tuned” when asked about when there could be a resolution, and whether a deal would be reached with Quaker Oats.

Quaker and the Fire struck a three-year deal in Jan. 2012 that was reportedly worth around $8 million. The Chicago-based company is the second shirt sponsor in franchise history after Best Buy, which was on the Fire’s shirts from 2008-2010.