McDonald's has locked naming rights to the Chicago Fire's $750 million stadium rising at The 78, the team announced Tuesday. The venue opens in 2028 as McDonald's Park, with a flagship restaurant built into the facility. Neither party disclosed term length or annual value. The Fire declined to comment on guarantees. McDonald's confirmed the deal Tuesday morning in a statement that emphasized Chicago roots—the chain's headquarters sits 25 miles west in Oak Brook—but did not specify whether the contract runs 10, 15, or 20 years.
The stadium sits on a 62-acre parcel in The 78, a mixed-use development along the South Branch of the Chicago River between Chinatown and the South Loop. Related Midwest is the master developer. The Fire's ownership group, led by Joe Mansueto since 2019, has characterized the move from Soldier Field as essential to revenue growth. The team has played at the 61,500-seat NFL venue since 2020, after a brief return from Bridgeview. Average attendance last season was 17,834. The new building will seat approximately 25,000 and include 31 suites, a supporters' section behind one goal, and year-round event space. The McDonald's flagship will anchor the north end, visible from the Dan Ryan Expressway.
Naming-rights economics in MLS have compressed since the league's 2023 media deal disappointed sell-side expectations. The Apple TV arrangement pays clubs a fraction of what NFL or NBA local broadcasts generated, and sponsors have repriced accordingly. Cincinnati's TQL Stadium, opened 2021, reportedly pays the club between $2 million and $3 million annually over 10 years. Nashville's Geodis Park, also 2021, is in that range. The Fire's ask was believed to start near $5 million per year when the stadium site was confirmed in 2023, but two people familiar with the process said the final McDonald's number likely came in below that threshold. One added that the chain's in-kind activation—menu integration, youth programming, the restaurant build-out—carries more balance-sheet weight than cash. McDonald's did not respond to a request clarifying the structure.
The deal gives McDonald's a visible downtown asset as it navigates domestic traffic headwinds and a brand refresh under CEO Chris Kempczinski. The company has spent heavily on digital ordering and delivery since 2020 but has seen U.S. same-store sales slow. A stadium naming play in the chain's hometown offers a hedge: 90 Fire matches plus concerts, rugby sevens, and private events will deliver consistent impressions in a market where McDonald's already operates more than 300 stores. The restaurant component—floor plan and menu still unannounced—positions the brand as an experiential anchor rather than a concession tenant. That mirrors the approach Levy has taken at SoFi Stadium, where brand integration extends beyond popcorn and soda.
The Fire's commercial strategy has leaned on Chicago legacy brands since Mansueto took control. Wintrust Bank has held front-of-shirt rights since 2020 at approximately $3 million per year. The club added Pepsi as a beverage partner in 2022 and extended with Adidas for kits through 2026. The McDonald's deal is the largest single asset the Fire have sold, and the timing—27 months before opening day—gives the sales team room to package second-tier categories. Two remaining club seats, founders' club memberships, and premium inventory are now attached to a venue with a confirmed name and anchor. The Fire's revenue run rate was estimated near $50 million in 2024. The new building should push that above $80 million by year three, assuming sell-through on suites and a sponsorship portfolio that fills in around McDonald's.
Stadium construction began in April. Perkins&Will is the architect. Mortenson is the general contractor. The Fire expect to play the 2027 season at Soldier Field, then move in March 2028. MLS has informally penciled the venue for an All-Star Game or playoff hosting slot within the first three years, contingent on on-field performance and local bid interest. The club has not announced a secondary naming-rights partner for gates, plazas, or the supporters' section, though conversations are active. One sponsor-side source said the McDonald's exclusivity likely precludes another QSR from buying in at any tier, which removes Portillo's, Culver's, and Wendy's from the mix.
The McDonald's flagship restaurant will operate year-round, accessible from street level on non-event days. The Fire said specifics on menu, footprint, and hours will be announced closer to opening. The chain has tested stadium concepts at Citi Field and Dodger Stadium but has never built an owned, standalone location inside a venue it also names. That structure adds operational complexity but keeps McDonald's revenue in-house rather than splitting with Levy or another concessionaire. The Fire declined to say whether the club takes a revenue share from the restaurant or receives a flat licensing fee.
Watch the Fire's remaining sponsorship announcements through Q3 2026, when the club typically finalizes jersey sleeves and smaller categories. The next stadium milestone is structural steel completion, expected January 2027. MLS will release the 2028 schedule in December 2027, and the Fire will announce their opening match opponent roughly 60 days before kickoff. McDonald's has signaled it will use the naming platform for youth soccer programming—exact format and budget unannounced—which could include grants, coaching clinics, or a scholarship fund. The chain's U.S. marketing team has already briefed agencies on integrating the stadium into holiday campaigns starting 2028.
The deal cements McDonald's as the most visible quick-service brand in MLS, ahead of Audi's multi-club presence and Alaska Airlines' Sounders partnership. It also locks the Fire into a hometown partnership structure that limits optionality if the Oak Brook relationship sours or if a non-Chicago buyer eventually surfaces. Mansueto, who founded Morningstar and has a reported net worth above $5 billion, has said he intends to own the club through the stadium's first decade. The McDonald's term almost certainly extends into that window, which means any successor inherits the name and the activation obligations.
The takeaway
McDonald's bought Chicago Fire stadium naming rights for undisclosed term through **2028** opening, embeds flagship restaurant, likely paid below **$5M** annually.
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