A Hammers insider has suggested two huge companies which might be interested in West Ham stadium naming rights.
When West Ham moved to the former Olympic Stadium it was widely expected there would be a concerted drive to sell off the lucrative naming rights.
The LLDC had that responsibility but six years on there has been no deal and West Ham’s ground remains the London Stadium.
Indian automobile and business conglomerate Mahindra Group was once engaged in talks for the West Ham stadium naming rights. However, the deal did not materialise (Inside Sport).
West Ham vice-chairman Karren Brady then took on a leading role in the search to find a naming rights partner for the London Stadium.
The LLDC asked for Brady’s help as they stepped up their bid to secure a naming rights deal for the 2020-21 season. But again nothing materialised.
Stadium naming rights deals can be worth anything between £5m-15m per season (90 Min).
And yesterday it was reported the London Stadium owners would now be willing to consider handing over negotiations around naming rights for the Stadium if the Premier League club offered them £4m per year (6foot2).
That would mean West Ham would have to secure a deal with a company which ranks in among the most lucrative in European football to make any worthwhile profit from it.
Now an insider has suggested two huge companies which might want the West Ham stadium naming rights and a third that could be in the mix.
Sean Whetstone has told 6foot2 that West Ham selling naming rights could land the club a new combined sponsorship deal.
As he rightly points out, clubs massively enhance the income from stadium naming rights deals by having the same company as their main sponsor.
With the uncertainty over the future of gambling companies being allowed to sponsor professional football teams, West Ham may have to find a Betway alternative anyway.
Whetstone points out that both Arsenal, with combined Emirates sponsorship, and Man City – Etihad – have shown how lucrative combined stadium and sponsorship deals can be.
City’s recent deal with airline Ethiad is said to be worth £67.5m per year while Arsenal is £40m per year.
And Whetstone told 6foot2 suggested the likes of Amazon and FedEx could be interested as well as a rival airline.
“West Ham would struggle to demand that kind of fee (commanded by City and Arsenal) but a five-year sponsorship could easily be worth £100m or £20m per year should be possible,” Whetstone told 6foot2.
“Media giant Amazon, courier company FedEx or perhaps another airline might be interested in the kind of exposure that a stadium and shirt sponsorship could bring.
“With gambling sponsorship of football likely to be banned a combined deal might need to wait until 2025 to become a reality.”
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