KIDWCKED
02-22-2011, 08:54 PM
c/p from MSN by the a/p
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Canadian beermaker Labatt Breweries said it may take legal action against the National Hockey League after it gave rival brewer Molson Coors an exclusive beer sponsorship deal.
- Canadian beermaker Labatt Breweries said it may take legal action against the National Hockey League after it gave rival brewer Molson Coors an exclusive beer sponsorship deal.
Labatt, part of Anheuser-Busch , said it had begun negotiations with the NHL several months ago to extend their arrangement "in good faith" and that both parties had agreed on the terms to renew the deal through 2014.
"We have an agreement with the league and are pursuing all legal remedies available to us to enforce this agreement," said Charlie Angelakos, Labatt's vice's president of corporate affairs. "We will pursue this aggressively."
An NHL spokeswoman had no immediate comment.
The NHL, which operates 30 teams in North America, on Tuesday struck a seven-year sponsorship deal with Molson Coors in Canada and MillerCoors in the United States.
The Molson Canadian brand won exclusive NHL rights in the beer sponsorship category, including the rights to being called the "Official Beer of the NHL." The deal begins with the 2011-12 NHL season.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Labatts said it had begun negotiations with the NHL several months ago to extend their arrangement "in good faith" and that both parties had agreed on the terms to renew the deal through 2014.
"We have an agreement with the league and are pursuing all legal remedies available to us to enforce this agreement," said Charlie Angelakos, Labatt's vice's president of corporate affairs. "We will pursue this aggressively."
An NHL spokeswoman had no immediate comment.
The NHL, which operates 30 teams in North America, on Tuesday struck a seven-year sponsorship deal with Molson Coors in Canada and MillerCoors in the United States.
The Molson Canadian brand won exclusive NHL rights in the beer sponsorship category, including the rights to being called the "Official Beer of the NHL." The deal begins with the 2011-12 NHL season.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
(Reporting by Phil Wahba; editing by Gunna Dickson)
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Canadian beermaker Labatt Breweries said it may take legal action against the National Hockey League after it gave rival brewer Molson Coors an exclusive beer sponsorship deal.
- Canadian beermaker Labatt Breweries said it may take legal action against the National Hockey League after it gave rival brewer Molson Coors an exclusive beer sponsorship deal.
Labatt, part of Anheuser-Busch , said it had begun negotiations with the NHL several months ago to extend their arrangement "in good faith" and that both parties had agreed on the terms to renew the deal through 2014.
"We have an agreement with the league and are pursuing all legal remedies available to us to enforce this agreement," said Charlie Angelakos, Labatt's vice's president of corporate affairs. "We will pursue this aggressively."
An NHL spokeswoman had no immediate comment.
The NHL, which operates 30 teams in North America, on Tuesday struck a seven-year sponsorship deal with Molson Coors in Canada and MillerCoors in the United States.
The Molson Canadian brand won exclusive NHL rights in the beer sponsorship category, including the rights to being called the "Official Beer of the NHL." The deal begins with the 2011-12 NHL season.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Labatts said it had begun negotiations with the NHL several months ago to extend their arrangement "in good faith" and that both parties had agreed on the terms to renew the deal through 2014.
"We have an agreement with the league and are pursuing all legal remedies available to us to enforce this agreement," said Charlie Angelakos, Labatt's vice's president of corporate affairs. "We will pursue this aggressively."
An NHL spokeswoman had no immediate comment.
The NHL, which operates 30 teams in North America, on Tuesday struck a seven-year sponsorship deal with Molson Coors in Canada and MillerCoors in the United States.
The Molson Canadian brand won exclusive NHL rights in the beer sponsorship category, including the rights to being called the "Official Beer of the NHL." The deal begins with the 2011-12 NHL season.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
(Reporting by Phil Wahba; editing by Gunna Dickson)