Days after Ontario’s court of appeal upheld Molson’s sponsorship deal with the National Hockey League, former league sponsor Labatt has announced it will continue to fight for sponsorship rights.
In a statement, Charlie Angelakos, vice-president, corporate affairs at Labatt, said the company strongly believes in the merits of the case and looks forward to an early decision by the court.
“Although the Court of Appeal determined there was a procedural error in the initial Superior Court decision, it didn’t comment on the merits of the case.
“We negotiated, in good faith, terms for the renewal of our sponsorship of the NHL for the 2011-2014 season and we’ll pursue our legal rights vigorously,” said Angelakos.
In February, Molson and the NHL announced the largest sponsorship deal in the league’s history, worth a reported $375 million.
Labatt argued it already had beer-category exclusivity with the league, and put the issue before a judge. In June, the Ontario Superior Court upheld Labatt’s claim, but Molson appealed.
On Tuesday the Court of Appeal set aside the ruling that would have blocked a sponsorship deal between Molson and the NHL. At the time of the decision, Molson said it had been “vindicated.”
