DM Fairgrounds sells naming rights to Albertsons

For $1.3 million dollars, Albertsons supermarket has won the right to “present’’ the San Diego County Fair for the next three years.

The Del Mar Fairgrounds put its naming rights up for sale this year but had to settle instead for selling “presenting’’ rights for the country’s fifth largest fair, The San Diego Union-Tribune reported.

For the next three years, the fair will be known as the “San Diego County Fair, Presented by Albertsons,’’ according to the newspaper.

The supermarket chain’s deal will included placing its name prominently on fairground signs, publications and ads. Albertsons also plans to promote the fair through its advertising and in-store promotions, the Union-Tribune reported.

The supermarket chain will also sell fair tickets at 58 Albertsons stores in San Diego County and in Temecula.

According to the newspaper, industry leaders said sponsorships are an important revenue source for fairs but that naming deals are unheard of and presenting deals are even more rare.

The fairground’s Chief Executive Tim Fennel told the newspaper that he still hopes to sell venue-naming rights for $1 million to $1.5 million a year for 10 years.

If, for example, Albertsons had purchased naming rights, the property would be known as “Albertsons Fairgrounds of Del Mar.’’ The fairgrounds’ annual revenue is $57.4 million.