Bud is again the beer for new Meadowlands stadium

Anheuser-Busch Inc. has signed a contract to become the second major sponsor of the new Meadowlands stadium for the Jets and Giants of the NFL.

The announcement on Thursday came three days after MetLife Inc. reached a tentative agreement with the New Meadowlands Stadium Co. to be one of four cornerstone partners in the 82,500-seat stadium that is scheduled to open in 2010.

Experts have said each of the four cornerstone partners will pay between $10 million and $15 million annually for the right to have exclusive naming rights to brand one of the four main entrances as well as an inside corner of the stadium and one of the four interior scoreboards.

The fifth and final sponsor is expected to pay at least $20 million annually for the naming rights to the stadium.

Terms for Anheuser-Busch and MetLife were not disclosed.

Anheuser-Busch, which is the official beer sponsor for 28 NFL teams, has a current beer sponsorship agreement at Giants Stadium with the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority, which leases the stadium to the Super Bowl champion Giants and the Jets.

The new $1.3 billion stadium will be co-owned by the Giants and Jets and managed by the New Meadowlands Stadium Co.

Fans will be offered pre-game festivities and live music in the 25,000-square-foot Budweiser and Bud Light plaza on the new stadium's north side. Inside the northeast corner of the stadium, they will find a multitiered, 4,000-6,000-square-foot sports bar.

"We are very proud that great American brands like Budweiser and Bud Light are extending their historic relationship with the Meadowlands by committing so significantly to the future through this cornerstone partnership," Jets chief executive Woody Johnson said.