Naming Rights and Sponsorship Practice
Overview
BCLP is a leader in naming rights and sponsorship transactions, representing both sports and entertainment properties and corporate sponsors.
Naming rights
With naming rights representations with an aggregate value of over $5.25 billion and significant experience on both the sports and entertainment property and the sponsor side, we are among the most active law firms in the world in advising with respect to naming rights transactions. We have been at the table for a number of the largest naming rights deals in history, including some of the largest known naming rights deals on each side of the Atlantic in the 20 year naming rights agreement for SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, the $400 million naming rights agreement for Citi Field in New York and the 15 year agreement to rename the London Millennium Dome to The O2, as well as the naming rights deal for the Dolby Theatre, home of the Academy Awards, as well as various restructurings of significant naming rights agreements (including to address the impact of COVID-19).
Sponsorships
Recognized as one of the leading sports sponsorship practices, we have significant experience on both the sports and entertainment property and the sponsor side, having negotiated significant sponsorships of Olympic events, professional sports teams, athletes and events (including jersey sponsorship, betting and gaming industry sponsorship and cryptocurrency category sponsorship transactions).
Meet The Team
EMEA Regional Leader – Litigations & Investigations and Co-Global Practice Group Leader – Business and Commercial Disputes, London
Experience
Naming rights
Representative naming rights engagements we have handled include the following:
- Acrisure Stadium (Pittsburgh Steelers)
- Ameriquest Field (n/k/a Globe Life Field) (Texas Rangers)
- Baird Center (Wisconsin)
- Bank of America Stadium (Carolina Panthers)
- Citi Field (New York Mets)
- Coors Field (Colorado Rockies)
- Dolby Theatre (Home of the Academy Awards)
- Enterprise Center (St. Louis Blues)
- Fiserv Forum (Milwaukee Bucks and Marquette Golden Eagles)
- GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City Chiefs)
- Gesa Field (Washington State University)
- The Home Depot Center (n/k/a Dignity Health Sports Park) (Los Angeles Galaxy)
- Honda Center (Anaheim Ducks)
- Johnson Controls Hall of Fame Village (Pro Football Hall of Fame)
- The O2 (London)
- Oracle Arena (Golden State Warriors)
- Pepsi Center (n/k/a Ball Arena; Colorado Avalanche and Denver Nuggets)
- Progressive Field (Cleveland Guardians)
- Qwest Field (n/k/a Lumen Field) (Seattle Seahawks)
- SoFi Stadium (LA Rams and LA Chargers)
- Sprint Center (Kansas City)
- STAPLES Center (n/k/a Crypto.com Arena) (LA Lakers, Clippers, Kings, Sparks & Avengers)
- Stifel Theatre (St. Louis)
Sponsorships
Representative sponsorship engagements include:
Olympic and National Governing Body Sponsorships
- Advised National Governing Bodies and various corporate sponsors in connection with a variety of sponsorship matters, including
USA Basketball in its marketing and licensing deal with the NBA covering the Men’s and Women’s Olympic Basketball Teams - Advised Airbnb, Inc. on its sponsorship agreement (publicly reported at over $550 million) with the International Olympic Committee covering nine years and five Olympics games (Tokyo 2020, Beijing 2022, Paris 2024, Milan/Cortina 2026 and Los Angeles 2028)
- Advised STIFEL Financial on its title sponsorship of U.S. Ski & Snowboard renaming the U.S. Ski Team as the STIFEL U.S. Ski Team
Professional Sports Event Sponsorships
- Negotiated Ameriquest’s Super Bowl Halftime Title Sponsorship, sponsorship of the NFL Pro Bowl, NFL Pro Bowl balloting and NFL Kickoff weekend and MLB All-Star balloting and licensing agreement with Major League Baseball
- Represented Bellerive Country Club in connection with the hosting of the 2008 BMW Championship and the U.S. Senior Open
- Represented the sponsor of one of Europe’s largest city cycle-sharing systems
International Football Club and Athlete Sponsorships
- Represented various sponsors in relation to arrangements with international football club personalities, club shirt and stadium
sponsorships - Advised a number of leading international football (soccer) club stars in connection with their sponsorship activities, including
Gareth Bale
Other Professional Sports Team Sponsorships
- Counseled both teams and corporate sponsors in connection with sponsorship transactions (including jersey sponsorship,
betting and gaming industry sponsorship and cryptocurrency category sponsorship transactions) involving teams in Major
League Baseball, the MLS, the NBA, the NFL and the NHL, including the following: - Baltimore Orioles (MLB)
- Chicago White Sox (MLB)
- Cleveland Guardians (MLB)
- Columbus Crew (MLS)
- Denver Broncos (NFL)
- Detroit Red Wings (NHL)
- Golden State Warriors (NBA)
- Inter Miami FC (MLS)
- Kansas City Chiefs (NFL)
- LAFC (MLS)
- Los Angeles Angels (MLB)
- Los Angeles Chargers (NFL)
- Los Angeles Dodgers (MLB)
- Los Angeles Rams (NFL)
- Milwaukee Bucks (NBA)
- Minnesota United (MLS)
- New York Islanders (NHL)
- New York Knicks (NBA)
- New York Mets (MLB)
- New York Rangers (NHL)
- Pittsburgh Steelers (NFL)
- Seattle Seahawks (NFL)
- St. Louis Blues (NHL)
- St. Louis Cardinals (MLB)
- Texas Rangers (MLB)
- Vegas Golden Knights (NHL)
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Sep 17, 2021