Miller Locks Down BIG! Deal With Univision.

Miller Brewing Company and Univision Communications Inc. announced a major cross-platform advertising and marketing deal between America’s second-largest brewer and the nation’s leading Spanish-language media company.

The $100 million-plus, three-year agreement will incorporate on-air advertisements, expanded property sponsorships and ownerships, substantial brand integration and sponsored public awareness vignettes on the following Univision outlets:

— National broadcast networks Univision and TeleFutura
— Univision and TeleFutura television stations in the nation’s largest markets
— Cable network Galavision
— Univision Radio’s AM network RadioCadena
— Local Univision Radio stations across the country
— Univision.com, the leading Spanish-language website

For Miller, this partnership is a pivotal step in the company’s high-priority initiative to grow its business among Hispanic legal-drinking-age consumers. The Miller Trademark has shown growth over the past year-plus, and must begin to more effectively attract Hispanic beer drinkers to build on that momentum. The Univision deal is Miller’s biggest commitment ever to Hispanic marketing.

Much of Miller’s success over the past year stems from its adoption of the able challenger mentality. The Milwaukee-based brewer has been successful at driving the dialogue in the U.S. beer industry, leaving its competitors in a reactionary mode. Luis Altuve, Miller’s director of multicultural marketing, said this deal is a great example of Miller’s newfound aggressiveness.

“This agreement gives us a very real, long-term competitive advantage in connecting with adult Hispanic beer drinkers,” Altuve said. “It’s a very resourceful deal that fits well with our overall effort to compete as an able challenger with the dominant industry leader.”

“We are thrilled that Miller has taken such a monumental step in recognizing the importance of advertising to Hispanics in Spanish with Univision and we are excited to be partnering with Miller in the creation of a new level of sponsorship encompassing national and local interests,” said Ron Furman, Univision’s executive vice president of network sales and marketing. “This cross-platform deal — the largest in Univision’s history — will give Miller unique exposure and exclusivity among Univision’s industry-leading properties.”

The deal covers three main programming areas: sports, entertainment and music, and also includes a public awareness component as part of Miller’s “Live Responsibly” campaign.

Sports

World Cup 2006

The World Cup is the most watched sporting event among U.S. Hispanics and Miller will be in the middle of the action once again in 2006 as a major sponsor of Univision’s World Cup telecasts. Univision has created a new level of sponsorship that guarantees Miller an exclusive position during World Cup games and related programming on both the network and local levels.

Viewers will begin their World Cup experience on Univision with “Countdown To The Kickoff With Miller,” a pre-game show that will rev up the excitement for Hispanic fans nationwide. Miller’s sponsorship also includes programming features in and around Univision’s World Cup coverage such as behind-the-scenes specials, personal player interviews, game highlights and “Goal of the Day” segments. In order to enhance the viewer experience, Miller will air commercials rotating among the pre-game, halftime and post-game segments of every match and will not interrupt the live, non-stop action of the games.

Futbol Liga Mexicana

Miller will once again sponsor live match coverage of the highest level of soccer from Mexico’s premier soccer league, Futbol Liga Mexicana (FLM), the equivalent of the NFL to Hispanics. Starting in 2005, Miller will expand its current involvement with FLM to co-promote and co-brand more than 200 matches broadcast on the Univision, TeleFutura and Galavision Networks, in addition to all local Univision and TeleFutura stations. The agreement also includes co-branding on the game clock and an in-game feature to appear during Miller’s sponsored half of the games. Miller will also sponsor Futbol Liga Mexicana highlight segments on Univision Radio stations across the country and fan polls on Univision.com.

Boxing

Blending sports and entertainment, boxing is immensely popular among Hispanics. TeleFutura’s weekly primetime program “Solo Boxeo” is one of the highest rated programs, as it provides Hispanics with the best window into the boxing world. Beginning in January 2005, the program will be renamed “Solo Boxeo de Miller,” providing Miller with complete local and network exclusivity, in addition to on-site signage and on-air IDs, enhanced production elements, sponsorship of related programming and segments such as “Tale of the Tape” and “After the Bell.” In addition, Univision and Miller will co-promote the newly established tie with “Solo Boxeo de Miller” on television, radio and online. Univision Radio will also air “In This Corner” segments and Miller-branded promotions in local markets. Univision.com will add fan interaction featuring Miller-branded promotions.

Entertainment

Novelas

Miller will be the exclusive beer sponsor of special primetime novelas, the most popular Spanish-language program genre. Univision’s blockbuster novela lineup reaches millions of adult viewers each night with compelling stories and lavish production qualities, and Miller’s sponsorship will include the right to preview new productions and sponsor novelas throughout selling periods critical to Miller marketing needs.

Music

Miller will partner will Univision as the exclusive beer sponsor of a select group of music-related specials slated for 2005 and 2006. Music has long been part of Miller’s strategy of attracting the U.S. Hispanic beer drinkers; in previous years, Miller was the exclusive beer sponsor of Univision’s Premio Lo Nuestro, the highest rated Latin music awards show.

Live Responsibly

In addition to its involvement in Univision’s sports, entertainment and music programming, Miller will also sponsor Spanish-language public awareness vignettes on Univision’s local and national television and radio outlets as part of Miller’s “Live Responsibly” campaign. “Live Responsibly” is Miller’s commitment to doing its part to reduce drunk driving, prevent underage access and promote responsible decision-making by legal drinking age consumers.