The Western Bulldogs and Mars Wrigley have extended their stadium naming rights partnership, which will see Ballarat’s showpiece events venue continue to be known as Mars Stadium until at least the end of 2027.
Over the next three years, the Bulldogs and Mars Wrigley will offer bespoke match day and inner sanctum experiences and initiatives for members of the Ballarat community, while an increased investment will see local community heroes and sporting clubs around the region thrive through a range of new initiatives; the first to be revealed in the coming weeks.
This latest partnership renewal between the Western Bulldogs, City of Ballarat and Mars Wrigley will mark 10 years of an ongoing commitment towards giving back and helping grow the Ballarat sporting and events community.
“Since 2017, Mars Stadium has become our second home for our AFL and AFLW teams, so this extended partnership with Mars Wrigley and the City of Ballarat will see us continue to strengthen our connection within the region,” Bulldogs chief commercial and strategy officer Kon Karavias said.
“The atmosphere at all three of our Mars Stadium games last year was really special. Ballarat is now our third largest postcode of members, and we are excited to continue delivering amazing experiences for our members, fans and the wider Ballarat community across the next three years.”
Mars Wrigley Australia sales director Xavier Shortal added: “It’s an honour to sponsor such an iconic and important part of the local Ballarat community, as well as deepen our association with the Western Bulldogs.”
“This sponsorship signifies Mars Wrigley’s commitment to the great city of Ballarat, which has been an important part of our history for more than 40 years, producing our iconic confectionary brands including Mars, Snickers, Maltesers, M&M’s and Pods,” added Mr Shortal.
“We’re thrilled to be using this sponsorship to give back to the local community, including launching a number of new community initiatives that we’ll proudly be working to deliver alongside the Western Bulldogs.”
City of Ballarat Mayor, Cr Tracey Hargreaves also expressed her delight with the partnership renewal, saying: “Mars Stadium is now well and truly associated across the country with AFL football in Ballarat and this agreement will only strengthen our reputation as the sporting capital of regional Victoria.”
The Bulldogs will host Port Adelaide (Round 8) and Adelaide (Round 18) at Mars Stadium this year, making it 15 AFL games at the venue since the first match played for premiership points in 2017.
The AFLW Bulldogs have also hosted five games at Mars Stadium across four seasons.
