Manchester United has begun accepting proposals from commercial agencies to structure naming rights and sponsorship tiers for a potential new stadium, according to SportBusiness. The club has not yet decided whether to build a 100,000-seat venue adjacent to Old Trafford or renovate the existing ground, but it is already mapping the revenue architecture.
The submissions detail how United might package naming rights, founding-partner designations, and premium hospitality inventory. The club is working with consultants who have run comparable processes for SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles (worth $625 million over 20 years to naming partner SoFi) and Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, which remains unnamed three years after opening despite a reported asking price near £25 million annually. United's ask is expected to sit in that range or higher, given the club's 650 million global follower count and the Premier League's international broadcast footprint.
Manchester United has never sold naming rights to Old Trafford in 114 years. That legacy is both an asset and a constraint. Agencies are expected to propose hybrid structures: preserve "Old Trafford" in some form while attaching a corporate prefix or suffix, similar to Emirates Stadium (formally Arsenal Stadium) or Allianz Arena. The club's Glazer ownership has historically favored maximum monetization—Chevrolet paid $559 million over seven years for shirt front rights starting in 2014—but fan sentiment around the stadium name runs deeper than kit branding. Any proposal will need to price in reputational cost.
The timing matters for United's capital structure. The club is evaluating a £2 billion new-build versus a £1 billion renovation, both figures before naming rights revenue. A £25 million annual deal over 15 to 20 years would contribute £375 million to £500 million in present-value terms, covering a meaningful slice of construction debt service. British tax treatment allows stadium naming rights to be amortized, improving cash accounting. The club has also signaled openness to public funding for transport infrastructure around a new ground, which would lower the net capital outlay and make the naming rights stream more attractive to lenders.
Four agencies are believed to have submitted: Legends, which handled SoFi and has existing United relationships through hospitality; Elevate, which works with the Dallas Cowboys; CSM Sport & Entertainment, active in European football; and one London-based firm whose name has not circulated. Pitches are expected to include case studies from NFL stadiums, where naming rights average $13 million annually, and international comps like Etihad's $600 million, 10-year deal with Manchester City's parent for stadium, shirt, and campus rights. United's ask will be stadium-only, making direct comparisons difficult but allowing the club to preserve kit and training-ground inventory for separate renewals.
Watch for United to announce its stadium decision by mid-2025, which would trigger a naming rights tender process with a narrower timeline. Renovation would likely produce a lower naming ask—£15 million to £18 million annually—since "Old Trafford" would remain more culturally entrenched. New-build scenarios give agencies a blank canvas and justify a £25 million+ benchmark. Separately, watch whether any proposal includes crypto or betting brands, both categories United has previously engaged (Tezos as training kit partner, various betting partnerships in Asia) but which face increasing regulatory scrutiny in the UK. The Financial Conduct Authority's review of sports sponsorships is expected to conclude in early 2025, ahead of United's final naming decision.
The club has been here before. In 2011, reports surfaced that Aon, then United's shirt sponsor, explored a £10 million annual naming offer for Old Trafford, which the club declined. Inflation-adjusted, that figure is £14.4 million today. United is now asking nearly double, in a market where naming rights have professionalized and where the club's need for stadium capital is no longer theoretical.
The takeaway
United is pricing stadium naming rights before committing to new-build or renovation, seeking **£20M+** annually in a market with few Premier League comps.
Editorial & Disclosure Notice: This article was written with artificial intelligence from public sources and is published without individual human review. Artificial intelligence and other digital tools are also used for research, analysis, editing, formatting, and production. Errors, omissions, outdated information, or inaccuracies may occur. References to companies, brands, products, services, organizations, or individuals are for informational and editorial purposes and do not imply endorsement, sponsorship, affiliation, partnership, or approval unless expressly stated. All trademarks and other intellectual property remain the property of their respective owners. Opinions, analysis, estimates, and commentary are informational only and should not be construed as financial, investment, legal, tax, medical, procurement, or other professional advice. Information may be corrected, clarified, or updated after publication. Corrections or removal requests: jenny@pops4.com.
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