Ahead of the new NFL season, SportsPro presents an up-to-date overview of every stadium naming rights deal currently in place.
Multi-million dollar stadium naming rights agreements remain a valuable source of income throughout the National Football League (NFL). As the cost of constructing new stadiums has spiralled to well beyond the billion-dollar mark, they continue to be a vital way for project financiers to recoup a significant portion of their investment and, generally speaking, the larger the market, the bigger the money.
Ahead of the new season, which kicks off on 8th September, two teams have cashed in by signing lucrative new deals. Earlier this week the Buffalo Bills put pen to paper on a seven-year agreement with the New Era Cap Company, a local headwear firm that will pay around US$35 million to rename the team’s Ralph Wilson Stadium as New Era Field, while the Miami Dolphins’ home, formerly known as Sun Life Stadium, is now called Hard Rock Stadium under a new deal reputedly worth some US$250 million over 18 years.
Elsewhere, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers struck a long-term extension to their long-standing naming rights deal with Raymond James Financial in June, a deal that ensures the stadium’s moniker remains until at least 2027.
Over in Denver, meanwhile, Sports Authority’s deal for the Broncos home stadium looks increasingly under threat following the sports goods retailer’s liquidation in May. Sports Authority's intellectual property was acquired by rival firm Dick's Sporting Goods in July and the company is now hoping to sell off its naming rights to the Broncos’ Mile High Stadium. Team and stadium officials have, however, lodged an appeal in bankruptcy court, and the embattled brand remains attached to the building for the time being.
In Oakland, Overstock.com Inc. opted out of the final year of its six-year naming rights deal for the Raiders’ O.co Coliseum in April. The Raiders had been competing with the St Louis Rams and the San Diego Chargers in a bid to relocate to Los Angeles, but retracted the application at the eleventh hour of a process which ultimately ruled in the Rams’ favour in January. Though the Raiders extended their lease at the Coliseum for another year shortly after the Super Bowl in February, a new naming rights deal is unlikely while uncertainty hangs over the future of professional football in the city.
The Rams’ relocation has also spawned doubt elsewhere. Last October, National Car Rental agreed a US$158 million, 20-year deal for the naming rights to a new stadium that was proposed in St. Louis as part of efforts to keep the Rams in the city. With those efforts ultimately proving unsuccessul, the stadium project – and the naming rights deal – have been shelved.
Buffalo's new deal, the first stadium agreement in the team's history, leaves just six of the 31 NFL venues without a corporate naming rights sponsor. Here, SportsPro presents a handy overview of every stadium naming rights deal currently in place.
AFC North
Baltimore Ravens
Stadium: M&T Bank Stadium
Sponsor: M&T Bank
Current deal terms: 10 years, US$60 million
Signed: May 2014
Ends: 2027
Cincinnati Bengals
Stadium: Paul Brown Stadium
No naming rights deal
Cleveland Browns
Stadium: FirstEnergy Stadium
Sponsor: FirstEnergy Corp
Current deal terms: 17 years, US$102 million
Signed: January 2013
Ends: 2030
FirstEnergy Corp became the first-ever naming rights sponsor of the Browns' home stadium in January 2013.
Pittsburgh Steelers
Stadium: Heinz Field
Sponsor: Kraft Heinz
Current deal terms: 20 years, US$57 million
Signed: June 2001
Ends: 2021
AFC East
Buffalo Bills
Stadium: New Era Field
Sponsor: New Era Cap Company
Current deal terms: 7 years, US$35 million (The Associated Press)
Signed: August 2016
Ends: 2023
New Era has reportedly agreed to pay around US$35 million to rename the Bills' Ralph Wilson Stadium.
Miami Dolphins
Stadium: Hard Rock Stadium
Sponsor: Hard Rock International
Current deal terms: 18 years, US$250 million (Forbes)
Signed: August 2016
Ends: 2034
New England Patriots
Stadium: Gillette Stadium
Sponsor: Procter & Gamble (P&G)
Current deal terms: Undisclosed. Gillette’s original deal worth US$105 million over 15 years.
Signed: September 2010
Ends: 2031
New York Jets
Stadium: MetLife Stadium
Sponsor: MetLife
Current deal terms: 25 years, US$400 million
Signed: August 2011
Ends: 2036
NFC North
Chicago Bears
Stadium: Soldier Field
No naming rights deal
Minnesota Vikings
Stadium: US Bank Stadium
Sponsor: US Bank
Current deal terms: 25 years, US$220 million
Signed: June 2015
Ends: 2040
US Bank has committed to naming the Vikings' newly opened stadium until 2040.
Detroit Lions
Stadium: Ford Field
Sponsor: Ford Motor Company
Current deal terms: 20 years, US$40 million
Signed: October 1996
Ends: 2016
Green Bay Packers
Stadium: Lambeau Field
No naming rights deal
NFC East
Dallas Cowboys
Stadium: AT&T Stadium
Sponsor: AT&T
Current deal terms: US$17-19 million per year. Duration undisclosed.
Signed: July 2013
New York Giants
Stadium: MetLife Stadium
Sponsor: MetLife
Current deal terms: 25 years, US$400 million
Signed: August 2011
Ends: 2036
MetLife's US$400 million deal to name the home of New York's Giants and Jets remains the richest of its kind in the NFL.
Philadelphia Eagles
Stadium: Lincoln Financial Field
Sponsor: Lincoln Financial
Current deal terms: 21 years, US$139.6 million
Signed: June 2002
Ends: 2023
Washington Redskins
Stadium: FedEx Field
Sponsor: Federal Express
Current deal terms: 27 years, US$205 million
Signed: 1998
Ends: 2025
AFC South
Houston Texans
Stadium: NRG Stadium
Sponsor: NRG Energy
Current deal terms: 32 years, US$300 million
Signed: 2000
Ends: 2032
The Texans' US$300 million deal with NRG Energy was a league record when it was signed in 2000.
Indianapolis Colts
Stadium: Lucas Oil Stadium
Sponsor: Lucas Oil Products
Current deal terms: 20 years, US$122 million
Signed: March 2006
Ends: 2028
Jacksonville Jaguars
Stadium: EverBank Field
Sponsor: EverBank Financial Corp.
Current deal terms: 10 years, US$43 million
Signed: June 2014
Ends: 2024
Tennessee Titans
Stadium: Nissan Stadium
Sponsor: Nissan North America
Current deal terms: 20 years
Signed: June 2015
Ends: 2035
AFC West
Denver Broncos
Stadium: Sports Authority Field at Mile High
Sponsor: Sports Authority
Current deal terms: 25 years, US$150 million
Signed: August 2011
Ends: 2036
Sports Authority went into liquidation earlier this year, casting doubt over its naming rights deal with the Broncos.
Kansas City Chiefs
Stadium: Arrowhead Stadium
No naming rights deal
Oakland Raiders
Stadium: Oakland Alameda Coliseum
No naming rights deal
Note: Overstock.com Inc. pulled out of its 6-year, US$7.2 million deal in March.
San Diego Chargers
Stadium: Qualcomm Stadium
Sponsor: Qualcomm
Current deal terms: 20 years, US$18 million
Signed: 1997
Ends: 2017
NFC South
Atlanta Falcons
Stadium: Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Sponsor: Mercedes-Benz
Current deal terms: 27 years
Signed: August 2015
Ends: 2042
Carolina Panthers
Stadium: Bank of America Stadium
Sponsor: Bank of America Corp.
Current deal terms: 20 years, US$140 million
Signed: January 2004
Ends: 2024
New Orleans Saints
Stadium: Mercedes-Benz Superdome
Sponsor: Mercedes-Benz
Current deal terms: 10 years, US$55 million
Signed: October 2011
Ends: 2021
With deals in New Orleans and Atlanta, Mercedes-Benz is the only company to hold naming rights contracts with two different NFL teams.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Stadium: Raymond James Stadium
Sponsor: Raymond James Financial
Current deal terms: 12 years. Original deal, signed in 2003, worth US$13.2 million.
Signed: June 2016
Ends: 2027
NFC West
Arizona Cardinals
Stadium: University of Phoenix Stadium
Sponsor: University of Phoenix
Current deal terms: 20 years, US$154.5 million
Signed: September 2006
Ends: 2026
Los Angeles Rams
Stadium: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
No naming rights deal
San Francisco 49ers
Stadium: Levi’s Stadium
Sponsor: Levi’s
Current deal terms: 20 years, US$220 million
Signed: May 2013
Ends: 2033
The 49ers' deal with Levi's is worth an average of US$11 million per year over two decades.
Seattle Seahawks
Stadium: CenturyLink Field
Sponsor: CenturyLink
Current deal terms: 15 years, US$75 million
Signed: 2004, extended in June 2011
Ends: August 2019
Ahead of the new NFL season, SportsPro presents an up-to-date overview of every stadium naming rights deal currently in place.
Multi-million dollar stadium naming rights agreements remain a valuable source of income throughout the National Football League (NFL). As the cost of constructing new stadiums has spiralled to well beyond the billion-dollar mark, they continue to be a vital way for project financiers to recoup a significant portion of their investment and, generally speaking, the larger the market, the bigger the money.
Ahead of the new season, which kicks off on 8th September, two teams have signed lucrative new deals. Earlier this month the Buffalo Bills put pen to paper on a new seven-year agreement with the New Era Cap Company, a local headwear firm that will pay around US$35 million to rename the team’s Ralph Wilson Stadium as New Era Field, while the Miami Dolphins’ home, formerly known as Sun Life Stadium, is now called Hard Rock Stadium under a deal reputedly worth some US$250 million over 18 years.
Elsewhere, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers struck a long-term extension to their long-standing naming rights deal with Raymond James Financial in June, a deal that ensures the stadium’s moniker remains until at least 2027.
Over in Denver, meanwhile, Sports Authority’s deal for the Broncos home stadium looks increasingly under threat following the sports goods retailer’s liquidation in May. Sports Authority's intellectual property was acquired by rival firm Dick's Sporting Goods in July and the company is now hoping to sell off its naming rights to the Broncos’ Mile High Stadium. Team and stadium officials have, however, lodged an appeal in bankruptcy court, and the embattled brand remains attached to the building for the time being.
In Oakland, Overstock.com Inc. opted out of the final year of its six-year naming rights deal for the Raiders’ O.co Coliseum in April. The Raiders had been competing with the St Louis Rams and the San Diego Chargers in a bid to relocate to Los Angeles, but retracted the application at the eleventh hour of a process which ultimately ruled in the Rams’ favour in January. Though the Raiders extended their lease at the Coliseum for another year shortly after the Super Bowl in February, a new naming rights deal is unlikely while uncertainty hangs over the future of professional football in the city.
The Rams’ relocation has also spawned doubt elsewhere. Last October, National Car Rental agreed a US$158 million, 20-year deal for the naming rights to a new stadium that was proposed in St. Louis as part of efforts to keep the Rams in the city. With those efforts ultimately proving unsuccessul, the stadium project – and the naming rights deal – have been shelved.
Buffalo's new deal leaves just seven of the 31 NFL venues without a corporate naming rights sponsor. Here, SportsPro presents a handy overview of every stadium naming rights deal currently in place.
AFC North
Baltimore Ravens
Stadium: M&T Bank Stadium
Sponsor: M&T Bank
Current deal terms: 10 years, US$60 million
Signed: May 2014
Ends: 2027
Cincinnati Bengals
Stadium: Paul Brown Stadium
No naming rights deal
Cleveland Browns
Stadium: FirstEnergy Stadium
Sponsor: FirstEnergy Corp
Current deal terms: 17 years, US$102 million
Signed: January 2013
Ends: 2030
Pittsburgh Steelers
Stadium: Heinz Field
Sponsor: Kraft Heinz
Current deal terms: 20 years, US$57 million
Signed: June 2001
Ends: 2021
AFC East
Buffalo Bills
Stadium: New Era Field
Sponsor: New Era Cap Company
Current deal terms: 7 years, US$35 million (The Associated Press)
Signed: August 2016
Ends: 2023
Miami Dolphins
Stadium: Hard Rock Stadium
Sponsor: Hard Rock International
Current deal terms: 18 years, US$250 million (Forbes)
Signed: August 2016
Ends: 2034
New England Patriots
Stadium: Gillette Stadium
Sponsor: Procter & Gamble (P&G)
Current deal terms: Undisclosed. Gillette’s original deal worth US$105 million over 15 years.
Signed: September 2010
Ends: 2031
New York Jets
Stadium: MetLife Stadium
Sponsor: MetLife
Current deal terms: 25 years, US$400 million
Signed: August 2011
Ends: 2036
NFC North
Chicago Bears
Stadium: Soldier Field
No naming rights deal
Detroit Lions
Stadium: Ford Field
Sponsor: Ford Motor Company
Current deal terms: 20 years, US$40 million
Signed: October 1996
Ends: 2016
Green Bay Packers
Stadium: Lambeau Field
No naming rights deal
Minnesota Vikings
Stadium: US Bank Stadium
Sponsor: US Bank
Current deal terms: 25 years, US$220 million
Signed: June 2015
Ends: 2040
NFC East
Dallas Cowboys
Stadium: AT&T Stadium
Sponsor: AT&T
Current deal terms: US$17-19 million per year. Duration undisclosed.
Signed: July 2013
New York Giants
Stadium: MetLife Stadium
Sponsor: MetLife
Current deal terms: 25 years, US$400 million
Signed: August 2011
Ends: 2036
Philadelphia Eagles
Stadium: Lincoln Financial Field
Sponsor: Lincoln Financial
Current deal terms: 21 years, US$139.6 million
Signed: June 2002
Ends: 2023
Washington Redskins
Stadium: FedEx Field
Sponsor: Federal Express
Current deal terms: 27 years, US$205 million
Signed: 1998
Ends: 2025
AFC South
Houston Texans
Stadium: NRG Stadium
Sponsor: NRG Energy
Current deal terms: 32 years, US$300 million
Signed: 2000
Ends: 2032
Indianapolis Colts
Stadium: Lucas Oil Stadium
Sponsor: Lucas Oil Products
Current deal terms: 20 years, US$122 million
Signed: March 2006
Ends: 2028
Jacksonville Jaguars
Stadium: EverBank Field
Sponsor: EverBank Financial Corp.
Current deal terms: 10 years, US$43 million
Signed: June 2014
Ends: 2024
Tennessee Titans
Stadium: Nissan Stadium
Sponsor: Nissan North America
Current deal terms: 20 years
Signed: June 2015
Ends: 2035
AFC West
Denver Broncos
Stadium: Sports Authority Field at Mile High
Sponsor: Sports Authority
Current deal terms: 25 years, US$150 million
Signed: August 2011
Ends: 2036
Kansas City Chiefs
Stadium: Arrowhead Stadium
No naming rights deal
Oakland Raiders
Stadium: Oakland Alameda Coliseum
No naming rights deal
Note: Overstock.com Inc. pulled out of its 6-year, US$7.2 million deal in March.
San Diego Chargers
Stadium: Qualcomm Stadium
Sponsor: Qualcomm
Current deal terms: 20 years, US$18 million
Signed: 1997
Ends: 2017
NFC South
Atlanta Falcons
Stadium: Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Sponsor: Mercedes-Benz
Current deal terms: 27 years
Signed: August 2015
Ends: 2042
Carolina Panthers
Stadium: Bank of America Stadium
Sponsor: Bank of America Corp.
Current deal terms: 20 years, US$140 million
Signed: January 2004
Ends: 2024
New Orleans Saints
Stadium: Mercedes-Benz Superdome
Sponsor: Mercedes-Benz
Current deal terms: 10 years, US$55 million
Signed: October 2011
Ends: 2021
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Stadium: Raymond James Stadium
Sponsor: Raymond James Financial
Current deal terms: 12 years. Original deal, signed in 2003, worth US$13.2 million.
Signed: June 2016
Ends: 2027
NFC West
Arizona Cardinals
Stadium: University of Phoenix Stadium
Sponsor: University of Phoenix
Current deal terms: 20 years, US$154.5 million
Signed: September 2006
Ends: 2026
Los Angeles Rams
Stadium: Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
No naming rights deal
San Francisco 49ers
Stadium: Levi’s Stadium
Sponsor: Levi’s
Current deal terms: 20 years, US$220 million
Signed: May 2013
Ends: 2033
Seattle Seahawks
Stadium: CenturyLink Field
Sponsor: CenturyLink
Current deal terms: 15 years, US$75 million
Signed: 2004, extended in June 2011
Ends: August 2019
{filedir_5}nfl_pitch_logo_800x560.jpg
