Alcohol Suppliers at Stadiums

[sprucemoooose]

I wanted to do a separate thread about what I have written below but I am a new member so I will just post in here. I think its relevant for most stadiums in Australia, not just the MCG. Apologies if this isn't the right place for this.

When are we ever going to see stadiums in Australia get with the times and offer half decent beers at their stadiums? Over the last few years there has been a conscious decision to offer better quality food at stadiums. But beer has stayed the same in spite of changing trends in beer drinking over the last few years. When I go to the football at places like the MCG or Docklands my only tap choices are Carlton Draught, a light beer and Fat Yak.

I was recently in America where I saw a few NHL and MLB games in one city and it was refreshing to see a few bars in each of the stadiums serving local and larger national craft beer alongside the local equivalent of Carlton Draught/XXXX Gold/West End. This shift to higher quality beers inside American stadiums seems to be a growing trend over there. The New York Mets have just announced a popular brewery is going to open a brewery and restaurant inside their stadium. I don't know about you guys but that would get me to a game. Live sport and beers brewed on the premises. Sure it wouldn't be cheap but it sounds like a great day out.

Now I am not expecting to see a brewery open up in an Australian stadium nor am I expecting to see every bar to have craft beer on tap but maybe just have one or two bars that are dedicated to serving up local beers. To me its a win win, the people that like their Carlton or equivalent can still easily still purchase it and people who like their craft beer can get their fix. It isn't a big change but to me and probably many others it will help get me to more games than I currently go to.

 

[The_Wookie]

Most stadiums in Australia have over-riding deals with a brewer.

 

[Kwality]

So essentially, you must give 10% of your ground to the away team up to 3000 seats?

Is this the case or not? Essentially, what is the go, got a link?

 

[Kwality]

I wanted to do a separate thread about what I have written below but I am a new member so I will just post in here. I think its relevant for most stadiums in Australia, not just the MCG. Apologies if this isn't the right place for this.

When are we ever going to see stadiums in Australia get with the times and offer half decent beers at their stadiums? Over the last few years there has been a conscious decision to offer better quality food at stadiums. But beer has stayed the same in spite of changing trends in beer drinking over the last few years. When I go to the football at places like the MCG or Docklands my only tap choices are Carlton Draught, a light beer and Fat Yak.

I was recently in America where I saw a few NHL and MLB games in one city and it was refreshing to see a few bars in each of the stadiums serving local and larger national craft beer alongside the local equivalent of Carlton Draught/XXXX Gold/West End. This shift to higher quality beers inside American stadiums seems to be a growing trend over there. The New York Mets have just announced a popular brewery is going to open a brewery and restaurant inside their stadium. I don't know about you guys but that would get me to a game. Live sport and beers brewed on the premises. Sure it wouldn't be cheap but it sounds like a great day out.

Now I am not expecting to see a brewery open up in an Australian stadium nor am I expecting to see every bar to have craft beer on tap but maybe just have one or two bars that are dedicated to serving up local beers. To me its a win win, the people that like their Carlton or equivalent can still easily still purchase it and people who like their craft beer can get their fix. It isn't a big change but to me and probably many others it will help get me to more games than I currently go to.

Gets back to how much you are prepared to pay - the brewer, the distributor, the outlet, the code, the stadium & occasionally the competing clubs all get an earn, are you prepared to pay mothergoose, or is your version of win/win, your hip pocket?

 

[brucetiki]

Adelaide Oval has a couple of 'Craft Beer' bars

 

[Max Power 83]

Gets back to how much you are prepared to pay - the brewer, the distributor, the outlet, the code, the stadium & occasionally the competing clubs all get an earn, are you prepared to pay mothergoose, or is your version of win/win, your hip pocket?

Why are you such a jerk about everything? You are clearly smarter than the rest of us, so why don't you spell it out? I, for one, am willing to pay. Now go ahead allude to subsidies, and the MCC and blah blah blah without actually stating anything concrete like you always do.

Go on. Enlighten the masses.

 

[Max Power 83]

Adelaide Oval has a couple of 'Craft Beer' bars

While "craft" is a pretty fluid term in this context, I agree, AO has some pretty good options. Much better than MCG that's for sure

 

[bombersfan4000]

Most stadiums in Australia have over-riding deals with a brewer.

The afl would have a big say in this for their games though?

 

[bombersfan4000]

Gets back to how much you are prepared to pay - the brewer, the distributor, the outlet, the code, the stadium & occasionally the competing clubs all get an earn, are you prepared to pay mothergoose, or is your version of win/win, your hip pocket?

Just BYO hip flask! Fill it with every you want

 

[The_Wookie]

The afl would have a big say in this for their games though?

generally not. Its a Stadium management thing - so the AFL really only has a say at Etihad, although it makes strong recommendations that are generally accepted at the MCG. And as of the start of this year, theres even more flexibility, which has allowed Brisbane to sign XXXX and Essendon have looked at changing the pourage rights for them at Etihad.

CUB is the AFLs preferred brewer and other than the WACA and Adelaide Oval, covers almost all major stadiums used by the league. (the holdouts are done by Lion Nathan)

 

[Kwality]

generally not. Its a Stadium management thing - so the AFL really only has a say at Etihad, although it makes strong recommendations that are generally accepted at the MCG. And as of the start of this year, theres even more flexibility, which has allowed Brisbane to sign XXXX and Essendon have looked at changing the pourage rights for them at Etihad.

CUB is the AFLs preferred brewer and other than the WACA and Adelaide Oval, covers almost all major stadiums used by the league. (the holdouts are done by Lion Nathan)

I read the OP to want a selection of craft beer.

 

[Kwality]

Why are you such a jerk about everything? You are clearly smarter than the rest of us, so why don't you spell it out? I, for one, am willing to pay. Now go ahead allude to subsidies, and the MCC and blah blah blah without actually stating anything concrete like you always do.

Go on. Enlighten the masses.

IF there was a dollar in it, it'd be happening - it is in SA, is that because of the stadium agreement at AO. Does that help, its the bleedin' obvious.

 

[Speck]

It's either Lion or CUB that provide it, mostly CUB for the AFL.

 

[Ned_Flanders]

Just BYO hip flask! Fill it with every you want

Not at the mcg. Know people have been thrown out of the ground because they were seen on camera using the flask

 

[bombersfan4000]

Not at the mcg. Know people have been thrown out of the ground because they were seen on camera using the flask

There are methods around that
Bourbon does go well with coke

 

[Snookers]

It actually has nothing to do with the code what beer is sold at the grounds.

The big breweries offer massive money to stadium owners / management / trusts to put their products in their bars.

You sometimes get stupid arrangements where the code (Rugby Union) his sponsored by Lion Nathan (Hahn Super Dry) and considering the Waratah's play out of Allianz, CUB products are sold behind the bar. So the signage on the ground is all Lion Nathan but the punters in the crowd (with the exception of the Lion Nathan Corporate Box) are all drinking CUB.

It is 100% up to the stadium management as to who they pour, and it mainly comes down to who pays the most money. (sometimes relationship comes in to it, in the example of the MCG and Carlton) but it's mainly cash.

 

[Kwality]

It actually has nothing to do with the code what beer is sold at the grounds.

The big breweries offer massive money to stadium owners / management / trusts to put their products in their bars.

You sometimes get stupid arrangements where the code (Rugby Union) his sponsored by Lion Nathan (Hahn Super Dry) and considering the Waratah's play out of Allianz, CUB products are sold behind the bar. So the signage on the ground is all Lion Nathan but the punters in the crowd (with the exception of the Lion Nathan Corporate Box) are all drinking CUB.

It is 100% up to the stadium management as to who they pour, and it mainly comes down to who pays the most money. (sometimes relationship comes in to it, in the example of the MCG and Carlton) but it's mainly cash.

&
the more the brewer pays the more the punter pays ...

 

[Snookers]

&
the more the brewer pays the more the punter pays ...

Not necessarily.

Look at Lion Nathan's ill-timed, and poorly executed, push in to Melbourne pubs in the early 2000's.

They knew that having reps on the road wasn't going to be enough so they went and ought up a large number of venues that only sold LNA products. These were venues in suburbs such as Brunswick (a part of the reason why Lewis Moran wasn't killed at his favourite pub...they stopped selling CND over the bar so he moved from his waterhole to the nearby club which sold it) and South Melbourne which although only was only 15 years ago, they weren't the suburbs they are now.

Pretty much all of those pubs went belly-up so they sold them to the guys who made a killing off the Walkabout Hotels in London and the UK.

Lion Nathan had 100% market share in their venues but they went broke because they didn't sell CND. People still want to buy the beer.

That's why the stadia would change their offer if people stopped buying. Unfortunately the vast majority of punters at the footy drink swill like CND and Fat Yak. And enjoy it.

I drink it at the footy but I really dislike it.

 

[Rob]

In the end I guess it's a commercial decision - the premium that brewers are prepared to pay for exclusivity is anticipated to be higher than the share of additional sales the stadium would be entitled to should they have a wider range of beers for sale.

 

[sprucemoooose]

IF there was a dollar in it, it'd be happening - it is in SA, is that because of the stadium agreement at AO. Does that help, its the bleedin' obvious.

Bars all over the major cities are removing some of their CUB and Lion Nathan taps and replacing it with independent craft beer so there is clearly money to be made so I don't really believe in that explanation. I guess CUB will do anything they can to hold on to their stranglehold at places like the MCG and Etihad.

 

[Kwality]

Bars all over the major cities are removing some of their CUB and Lion Nathan taps and replacing it with independent craft beer so there is clearly money to be made so I don't really believe in that explanation. I guess CUB will do anything they can to hold on to their stranglehold at places like the MCG and Etihad.

You liken a bar in the burbs/city to a sporting venue ... OK ... captive audience?

 

[Underdog]

When are we ever going to see stadiums in Australia get with the times and offer half decent beers at their stadiums? Over the last few years there has been a conscious decision to offer better quality food at stadiums. But beer has stayed the same in spite of changing trends in beer drinking over the last few years. When I go to the football at places like the MCG or Docklands my only tap choices are Carlton Draught, a light beer and Fat Yak.

"WA brewery Gage Roads Brewing Co has beaten international companies to win the sole beer and cider contract at the new Perth Stadium.

The Palmyra-based company, which specialises in craft pale ales and lagers, won the five-year, multi-million dollar contract, announced by Premier Mark McGowan on Monday."

"Gage Roads in May 2016 won the top prize at the Australian International Beer Awards for their pale ale, Little Dove. The drop also took out Best New World Style Pale Ale."

http://www.watoday.com.au/wa-news/a...th-stadium-beer-contract-20170925-gyo32x.html