Heinz hanging around: Oversized ketchup bottles to be displayed at Acrisure Stadium

Kraft Heinz will continue to have a presence at the Pittsburgh Steelers’ home stadium even if the food and beverage giant no longer maintains naming rights at the North Shore venue.

The Steelers have agreed in principle to a five-year sponsorship deal with Kraft Heinz at the newly renamed Acrisure Stadium, a team spokesman said.

As part of the deal, one of the oversized ketchup bottles that recently were removed from the scoreboard will be displayed elsewhere inside the stadium.

“We at Kraft Heinz are committed to the Pittsburgh community, and we’re not going anywhere,” company spokesperson Lynsey Elve said. “We can confirm there is an agreement and, not only is the Heinz Red Zone staying, but one of the iconic ketchup bottles will be featured at the stadium in a prominent location where visitors can get a coveted photo op.

“There are other important elements of the deal that will give fans the opportunity to experience our brands, such as concessions, tunnel covers and more.”

Related:

• Heinz Field no more: Steelers, Acrisure finalize deal for stadium naming rights
• Many Steelers fans underwhelmed by Heinz Field name change
• Never heard of Acrisure? Naming rights deal with Steelers stadium aims to change that
• More on the Acrisure Stadium name change

Elve said Kraft Heinz has plans for the second ketchup bottle — and other memorabilia — that was removed from the scoreboard.

“We are planning to share and repurpose these items with the community in ways that will benefit Pittsburgh,” she said. “We plan to unveil more details about this soon.”

The Heinz Red Zone has served as a popular feature during Steelers home games.

When the Steelers would approach the opponent’s 20-yard line — or red zone — the ketchup bottles would tip over, pouring its contents down the side of the scoreboard. With the bottles no longer serving as part of the scoreboard, the Steelers will have to reenact the bottle pouring digitally.

Heinz held naming rights when the stadium opened in 2001, operating under a 20-year, $57-million agreement. That deal was extended for a year when it expired after the 2020 season.

When the two sides could not agree on another extension, the Steelers turned to Acrisure, a financial tech company based in Grand Rapids, Mich. Acrisure is paying $150 million over the next 15 years to maintain the stadium’s naming rights.

When that deal was announced, a Kraft Heinz spokesman said the naming rights fee was “significantly more than we could justify.” Kraft continues to have co-headquarters in Pittsburgh as well as Chicago.

The transition began Monday when workers started removing the ketchup bottles from the scoreboard. Steelers president Art Rooney II said he hoped the makeover would be complete for the start of the season. The Steelers play their first home game of the regular season Sept. 18 against the New England Patriots. They have home preseason games Aug. 13 against Seattle and Aug. 28 against Detroit.