Miller Park is getting a new name.
In a statement from MillerCoors, they say American Family Insurance will likely be taking over the naming rights for Miller Park.
Miller’s naming rights agreement, which started in 2001 with the opening of the park, expires in 2020.
A news conference is set for 2 p.m. and Local 5 will be streaming it on Facebook here: www.facebook.com/wfrvlocal5
Below is the Official Statement from MillerCoors
Twenty years ago our company stepped forward to help keep the Brewers in Brew City USA, a move that built on our longstanding relationship with the team and our commitment to Wisconsin – whether that’s at Packers and Bucks games, at Summerfest and the State Fair or in backyards and beer bars.
Late last year another Wisconsin company, American Family Insurance, proactively pitched the Brewers an incredibly rich offer for the future naming rights to Miller Park, and we’re proud to welcome American Family to the family we’ve been part of for generations.
While the name on the stadium will change after the 2020 season, we fully expect Brewers fans inside and outside the stadium will continue to celebrate every home run and every strike out with one of our beloved brands.
MillerCoors Talks the History of the Miller Park Partnership
Were it not for Miller Brewing, Major League Baseball would have looked a lot different in Milwaukee – if it existed there at all.
Miller Park opened for Brewers baseball in the spring in 2001, but the effort to build (and fund) a new stadium began 14 years earlier. The period in between was marked with deep concern that without funding for a new stadium, the team would be forced to leave Milwaukee.
While a heated political fight ultimately resulted in the State of Wisconsin agreeing to fund the vast majority of the construction of a new baseball stadium through a new tax, the final piece of the funding puzzle came from Miller Brewing. In March 1996, Miller Brewing purchased the naming rights to Miller Park through the 2020 season for $40 million – securing the money the team needed to fund the stadium.
As Brewers vice president of business operations, Rick Schlesinger said a few years ago, “there’s no question that Miller Park has been integral to the success we’ve had.”
We’re proud of our shared history with the Brewers, the Packers, the Bucks, at Summerfest and countless other places where people gather all across the great state of Wisconsin.
Recently the Brewers came to us to say they had a lucrative offer for naming rights on the stadium once our current agreement expires. It’s a deal that will provide the team with even more money to compete, and with the Brewers on the cusp of winning its first World Series championship.
While the name on the stadium will change, we fully expect that the great play and great products Brewers fans love will remain staples of summer in Milwaukee for years to come. And we fully expect that Brewers fans will continue to celebrate every home run and every strike out with one of our beloved brands.
Below is the official announcement of the name change:
