Exclusive: Manchester United stadium plan set to get £200m boost
Manchester United could earn £200m from selling the naming rights to their new stadium, according to a new report.
Manchester United’s 100,000-seater plan for a project dubbed New Trafford, adjacent to the iconic but crumbling Old Trafford, would create the biggest stadium in Britain and command a premium naming rights price.
Research by industry title The Sponsor, exclusively shared with CityAM, estimates that the build – which Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe is seeking to finance with both private and public money – could see New Trafford fetch £200m over a 10-year period.
“Manchester United’s current sponsorship value is underpinned by an exceptional global fanbase and one of the strongest reputations in world sport, but it is constrained by ageing infrastructure and inconsistent on-pitch performance,” said The Sponsor’s Sean Connell.
“A completed New Trafford would change that equation. At the proposed scale, it would be one of Europe’s largest sporting venues and, if delivered with modern, environmentally responsible infrastructure, a cultural landmark for the north of England.”
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A number of Premier League stadiums have struck naming rights deals, including Manchester City and Arsenal with airlines Etihad and Emirates. Elsewhere Everton’s new ground is sponsored by law firm Hill Dickinson and Brighton and Bournemouth’s arenas are sponsored by American Express and Vitality.
Other top-flight stadiums, such as those home to West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur, have struggled to attract sponsors, but New Trafford would be one of sport’s crown jewels.
Connell added: “Its ability to operate as a multi-use entertainment venue, hosting elite football alongside major live music and cultural events, significantly expands the commercial audience for a naming rights partner.”
Manchester United could expect to generate at least £15m a year in naming rights regardless of results but rising to £20m should their on-field fortunes improve.
“If the club can fix the football and return to regular European competition, the naming rights value of a ‘New Trafford’ could be even higher,” he said.
It comes as The Sponsor’s fair market valuation index for European stadiums saw LaLiga duo Real Madrid and Barcelona sit at its summit ahead of Bayern Munich and Arsenal.
Real Madrid’s Bernabeu does not have a naming rights partner despite being valued at £18.4m per season, but Spotify, Allianz and Emirates sponsor Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Arsenal.
Stadium naming rights deals do not automatically mean brand representation for all home games, however. In the Champions League, where Manchester United will look to play next season, Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium becomes the City of Manchester Stadium and Arsenal’s Emirates is known as the Arsenal Stadium.