Ball Corporation and Kroenke Sports & Entertainment Announce Global Partnership to Advance Sustainability in Sports and Entertainment Through Aluminum Beverage Packaging, Improved Recycling Programs and Consumer Education
WESTMINSTER, Colo., Oct. 22, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Ball Corporation (NYSE: BLL) and Kroenke Sports & Entertainment (KSE) today established a first-of-its kind global partnership across three marquee venues in Denver, Los Angeles and London. The partnership was founded on a shared vision to advance sustainability in sports and entertainment by strengthening in-venue aluminum recycling, providing fans with a more environmentally friendly fan experience and showcasing aluminum beverage packaging as the most sustainable choice.
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The partnership includes naming rights for Ball and KSE's hometown arena in Denver, Colorado, home to the NBA's Denver Nuggets, NHL's Colorado Avalanche and NLL's Colorado Mammoth, and also home to family entertainment and concerts. The partnership is a demonstration of both companies' steadfast commitment to a sustainable future and builds on their long history of working together to support the Denver community.
Ball and KSE will also partner with the Premier League's Arsenal F.C., which plays in London's Emirates Stadium, and the NFL's Los Angeles Rams and their home stadium, SoFi Stadium. In each location, in addition to in-venue aluminum beverage packaging solutions, Ball and KSE will enhance local community programs and increase awareness of the importance of aluminum recycling.
"This is an important moment in sports and entertainment, and we are proud to partner with Kroenke Sports & Entertainment to advance sustainability in venues by implementing real-world solutions to the packaging waste crisis," said John A. Hayes, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Ball Corporation. "We are committed to making recycling an easy, everyday choice for consumers by providing them with infinitely recyclable aluminum cans, bottles and cups that can be used and back on a store shelf in just 60 days, and enhancing recycling infrastructure in venues. We look forward to continuing to work with KSE to bring about positive change for years to come."
The partnership marks a new era for both companies' hometown multi-purpose Denver arena, the site of iconic athletic, entertainment and cultural moments throughout the past 30 years.
"It is with great pride that we introduce Ball Arena as the new home of the Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche and Colorado Mammoth," said KSE Founder and Chairman E. Stanley Kroenke. "Our goal in selecting a long-term international venues partner was to find a Colorado-based company with global renown to grow side-by-side with our talented young teams. Ball Corporation is an ideal fit for that vision, an innovative leader that shares our commitment to our local community, to environmental sustainability and creating quality jobs in Colorado. We look forward to unveiling Ball Arena and welcoming our fans back home when it is time once again to celebrate live sports and entertainment events responsibly. We ask everyone to continue to stay safe and look after each other so that we can soon enjoy countless amazing memories at Ball Arena."
The partnership also takes Ball and KSE's growing relationship to the next level, reflecting a shared vision for the future of the global sports and entertainment industry.
"This announcement is an extension of a relationship that began between Ball Corporation and KSE a year ago with the introduction of their infinitely recyclable Ball Aluminum Cup™. That opened the door to this incredible opportunity, that builds on the importance of aluminum packaging and recycling," said Michael Ceilley, KSE Senior Vice President, Partnership Marketing & Media Sales. "Working together, we believe this partnership will be transformative and help redefine the way arenas and stadiums operate globally. We are also grateful for PepsiCo's dedication to elevating the fan experience at our arena for over 21 years, and through ongoing official beverage partnerships with the Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche, Colorado Mammoth and Ball Arena."
These iconic venues will make the event and fan experience more sustainable by making infinitely recyclable beverage packaging more accessible and ensuring fans have confidence their beverage containers are being recycled and returned to the shelves. At all three locations, this partnership enables KSE to provide guests with real solutions that address the packaging waste crisis, including cold beverages in the infinitely recyclable Ball Aluminum Cup™ and in aluminum cans and bottles, with improved fan-facing recycling programs available on-site.
- At Ball Arena in Denver, Ball will be KSE's Official and Exclusive Sustainability Partner, working with KSE to transition to aluminum beverage packaging – cans, bottles and cups – for 100 percent of the venue's concessions, with the goal of implementing a closed loop system by 2022. The partnership will include a comprehensive recycling and sustainability plan designed to strengthen the venue's collection, processing and reclamation, as well as investments in community education focused on aluminum recycling.
- In London, Ball will partner with Arsenal – one of the most watched soccer teams in the world – as its official sustainable aluminum beverage packaging partner. The partnership will explore ways in which Ball can support the club in reducing its impact on the environment and assist with educational initiatives for its global fanbase about the importance of recycling and other green practices. Ball's partnership with Arsenal builds on both parties' long history of working to support their community and signals a long-term commitment to a sustainable future.
- In Los Angeles, Ball will become the official Infinitely Recyclable Aluminum Packaging Partner of SoFi Stadium and the Los Angeles Rams. SoFi Stadium – the new, 70,000-seat home to the Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers – will feature the company's infinitely recyclable aluminum cups for draft beer and cocktails. The Rams will use the cups at team training facilities, camps and on game days. Additionally, the partnership will allow Ball to create local sustainability awareness events, targeted community recycling improvements and educational programming.
Ball, a leader in cutting-edge aluminum beverage packaging, as well as climate monitoring and weather forecasting technologies through the Ball Aerospace business, has made sustainability foundational to its business, operations and products. This partnership builds on Ball's success in developing and piloting the lightweight Ball Aluminum Cup™ in sports and entertainment venues. The cup, a direct response to growing consumer preference for more sustainable products, debuted in 2019 at the former Pepsi Center, now Ball Arena. It is also available at the University of Colorado Boulder's Folsom Field and at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, among other major venues. KSE is a natural partner as Ball seeks to expand the cups' reach and provide an infinitely recyclable solution to sports fans, concert-goers and consumers around the globe.
Throughout the life of the partnership, Ball and KSE will develop and implement fan-facing activities in all three venues, and focus on educational and recycling infrastructure programs for the surrounding local communities to celebrate and encourage aluminum recycling – an everyday sustainable choice for consumers and a cornerstone of making a circular economy a reality.
About Ball Corporation
Ball Corporation supplies innovative, sustainable packaging solutions for beverage, personal care and household products customers, as well as aerospace and other technologies and services primarily for the U.S. government. Ball Corporation and its subsidiaries employ more than 18,300 people worldwide and 2019 net sales were
About Kroenke Sports & Entertainment
Denver-based Kroenke Sports & Entertainment (KSE) is one of the world's leading ownership, entertainment and management groups. KSE's portfolio of professional sports teams and venues include: Arsenal F.C. (EPL), the Los Angeles Rams (NFL), Denver Nuggets (NBA), Colorado Avalanche (NHL), Colorado Rapids (MLS), Colorado Mammoth (NLL), SoFi Stadium, Emirates Stadium, Ball Arena, Dick's Sports Goods Park and the Historic Paramount Theatre. Additional properties under KSE's umbrella include Altitude Sports & Entertainment, a 24-hour regional television network and Altitude Authentics, the company's official retail provider.
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