Corona Extra to Sponsor 2008 Kenny Chesney Tour

Corona Extra to Sponsor 2008 Kenny Chesney Tour

25 Million+ Selling Superstar Joins Forces for His Poets & Pirates Tour

CHICAGO, Nov. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Corona Extra, the number one imported beer in the U.S., is excited to announce an exclusive long-term contract with country music superstar Kenny Chesney, making Corona the official beer sponsor of his eagerly anticipated 2008 concert tour.

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20071108/NYTH141 )

Chesney is the three-time and reigning Academy of Country Music Entertainer of the Year, and the three-time and current Country Music Association Entertainer of the Year -- in large part for playing to in excess of 7.5 million fans over the past six summers.

Chesney's 2008 Poets and Pirates Tour follows on the heels of his Flip Flop Summer 2007 Tour, which played to over 1.2 million fans, including sold-out shows in the NFL stadiums of Boston, Cleveland, Detroit, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Seattle.

"We are thrilled to be partnering with Kenny Chesney for his 2008 tour," said Timm Amundson, vice president of marketing, Corona Extra & Corona Light for Crown Imports, Corona's U.S. importer. "Kenny's persona and Corona's brand image share many of the same attributes-laid back attitude, fun-in-the- sun beach state of mind."

Known as the hardest working artist in the business, Chesney kicked off his 57 sold-out shows last spring with an unannounced warm-up tour of small bars and Key West dives -- and then hit every major market in America. A singer and songwriter who captures the way people actually live their lives, he is known for his multiple week number one hits "Summertime," "Never Wanted Nothin' More," "Don't Blink," "There Goes My Life," "Anything But Mine," "Livin' In Fast Forward," "No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems," "When The Sun Goes Down" and "Beer In Mexico," the solely self-penned three week number one record that was written at Sammy Hagar's pool in Cabo San Lucas.

"If you want to capture my audience, the thing that stands out is their ability to have more fun in a single day than most people have in a month - and Corona is part of those kinda lazy, hanging out with your buddies kinda days," says the man who has also won the Country Music Association's Album of the Year for When The Sun Goes Down and the Academy of Country Music's Single of the Year for "The Good Stuff" about his new tour partner. "Corona, lime, sun and a lotta laughter is a pretty great way to spend a day at the beach -- or just about anywhere else."

Corona and Chesney are announcing the partnership with a full-page ad in Friday's edition of the USA Today. "The sponsorship provides strong benefits for the Corona brand," according to Amundson. "This is a terrific partnership for Corona Extra and Corona Light that places us at the forefront of high profile sponsorship activity and exposure. Kenny's blend of country, rock, bluegrass and Caribbean sounds are a natural fit for the Corona brand and we look forward to working with him to fully leverage this program."

Crown Imports LLC is a joint venture that imports, distributes and markets the Modelo portfolio and other fine beer brands across the entire U.S. The Modelo portfolio includes Corona Extra, the #1 imported beer in the U.S. and #6 beer overall, Corona Light, Modelo Especial, Negra Modelo and Pacifico beer brands. Crown also imports the St. Pauli Girl and Tsingtao beer brands in the U.S. For more information, visit www.crownimportsllc.com.

Crown Imports is a 50-50 joint venture between Grupo Modelo, S.A. de C.V. (MX: GMODELOC), Mexico's leading company in the brewing, distribution and sale of beer, and Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ) (NYSE:ASX:) (NYSE:CBR) , a leading international beverage alcohol producer, importer and marketer.

Kenny Chesney is a Luttrell, Tennessee-born and -raised singer and songwriter. A high energy performer, who is known for his unrelenting shows, Chesney's been headlining major tours since 2001 -- and drawing in excess of a million people each year. Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates, his latest album, has produced 2007's longest running #1 with the five week chart-topper "Never Wanted Nothin' More" and also the 4-week and still #1 "Don't Blink."

Photo: NewsCom: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20071108/NYTH141
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
AP PhotoExpress Network: PRN11
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com

Source: Constellation Brands, Inc.; Crown Imports LLC

CONTACT: Bill Ligas of Crown Imports LLC, +1-312-873-9279,
bill.ligas@crownimportsllc.com; or Wes Vause of BNA Records, +1-615-301-4300

Web site: http://www.cbrands.com/
http://www.crownimportsllc.com/

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Profile: International Entertainment