Dr. Pepper Wins Exclusive Sponsorship Rights With Bears
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Next time you buy a soft drink at Soldier Field, it won't be Coke or Pepsi.
As WBBM Newsradio's Regine Schlesinger reports, Crain's Chicago Business says the Bears have signed an exclusive sponsorship contract with the Dr. Pepper Snapple Group, after a long relationship with Coca-Cola.
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The deal will make RC Cola, 7-Up and Dr. Pepper the primary soda brands served at Bears games. It will also give the Plano, Texas-based distributor exclusive beverage branding rights with the Bears, Crain's reported.
The deal is said to be worth $3 million a year, Crain's reported.
The deal will include sponsoring Bears training camp in Bourbonnais. The Bears will also open a new Dr. Pepper Patio this coming season in the south stands of Soldier Field, according to Crain's.
Bears vice president of sales and marketing Chris Hibbs tells Crain's that Dr. Pepper plans to integrate the Bears with everything they do.
The Bears deal is the Dr. Pepper Snapple Group's first with the NFL, although the company has long been involved with collegiate sports.
