Everton handed potential stadium naming rights 'boost' as €300m Saudi Arabia deal agreed

Everton are weighing up multiple offers for naming rights to the club’s new stadium.

The Toffees receive the keys to the Bramley-Moore Dock ground in a matter of weeks. And while the 52,888-seater facility has simply been referred to as ‘Everton Stadium’ during its construction, that won’t be the case when Everton make the move for the start of the 2025-26 season.

The club will drive commercial revenue markedly by selling naming rights to a firm. Given the history of Goodison Park, synonymous with the Blues and all its glory, that was something out of the question. But the switch to the stadium on the banks of the River Mersey grants Everton a new opportunity to boost their coffers.

Chief commercial officer Richard Kenyon declared in the match-day programme before the 2-1 win over Crystal Palace last month that multiple bids had been made. The club’s board want to ensure the successful part is the ‘right long-term fit’ and a deal is likely to last a decade. Kenyon said: “We have continued to make good progress on stadium naming rights with offers presented to our board of directors in recent months. No one will appreciate more than our supporters the need for us to make sure the brand we choose is the right long-term fit for the club, with any deal likely to be at least 10 years. I will continue to provide updates on this important part of our commercial partnership inventory as things progress.”

There will be several facets for Everton to consider. In truth, one of the most important will be achieving the market value the club deserves. And a recent deal could potentially help with just that.

Atletico Madrid made the move to the Metropolitan Stadium in 2017 - and the decision to leave behind the Vicente Calderón Stadium has been highly fruitful. It hosted the 2019 Champions League final, as well as concerts for global musicians including Bruce Springsteen, Bon Jovi and Guns N’ Roses while Ed Sheeran and Imagine Dragon have already been booked for 2025. Meanwhile, the capacity was expanded to 70,460 last year such was the demand for tickets to watch Diego Simeone’s outfit.

Against the backdrop of how successful the switch has been, Atletico have landed a lucrative naming rights deal. The Metropolitan was previously sponsored by Wanda Group between 2017-22 before Civitas Pacensis took up the mantle. However, Civitas have exited the agreement and the Colchoneros announced last week they have struck a nine-year partnership with Saudi Arabia-based Riyadh Air.

AS reports that Atletico will earn between €250-300 million (£210-250 million) - which works out between €26-33 million (£21.8-£27.6 million) per season. Riyadh Air, due to commence operations next year, is also the La Liga outfit’s main shirt sponsor.

Of course, Atletico have the benefit of playing in the Champions League, having qualified for Europe’s elite club competition since 2013 - reaching the final on two occasions - and won the La Liga title in 2021. According to Forbes, the Colchoneros are the 13th richest club in the world and valued at $1.6 billion (£1.23 million), with Everton ranked 25th at $744 million (£570 million).

But the Blues are a proud footballing institution who play in the world’s most-watched division. The Premier League attracts an audience of 1.87 billion worldwide.

Everton’s current board - as well as prospective owner Dan Friedkin - will be assessing naming rights deals in place across the globe as they aim to maximise revenue. The likes of Manchester City (Etihad Stadium), Arsenal (Emirates Stadium), Brighton (AMEX Stadium) and Leicester City (King Power Stadium) already have such agreements. And Atletico’s deal is the latest barometer that Everton could use.