Repucom, Sport+Markt Survey: Naming Rights, Parking Key Issues For Stadiums

Naming-rights deals are becoming increasingly important for the financial stability of int'l stadiums, according to the second edition of the International Stadia Operator Survey, by Stamford, Conn.-based Repucom International and Cologne-based Sport+Markt AG, The report, scheduled to be released to clients this week, is based on data provided in September by 70 stadia operators across the globe addressing a number of venue-related issues. The venues represented in the survey ranged in capacity from 10,000 to 100,011 seats, with an average of 34,169. At nearly 80% of the venues, football was the primary sport. As a result, the weighting leans more toward European venues.

THE DETAILS: Among the key findings provided exclusively to SBD Global:

• 16% of stadia are using solar energy, up from 5% in '10. That number will grow, as most venues under construction or development include solar energy components. Estádio Nacional de Brasília, for example, which will host the 2014 FIFA Men’s Word Cup finals and the 2016 Summer Olympics Opening and Closing Ceremonies, is expected to become the world’s first zero-net-energy stadium when it opens next summer.
• Parking spaces directly at the venue are still rare: the average venue can accommodate 3.7% of its fans. As a result, 83% of stadium managers listed public transportation issues as one of the most important aspects of their jobs. On-site E-payment solutions are now available at 34% of the venues, up from 25%.
• Naming rights revenue continues to grow in importance. The study shows 46% of the stadia represented had a corporate moniker, up from 33%. London-based BetFair, the world’s largest online betting site, became the first naming rights partner at a U.S. pari-mutuel track, at California’s Hollywood Park. The biggest naming rights story of '12, however, belongs to Allianz.

Sport+Markt senior stadia consultant Maria Walsh said, “One interesting development on the naming rights scene this year has been the global expansion of Allianz bank. They now hold four premium naming rights deals globally, with a combined investment of around $13M per year." The Munich-based bank signed deals at stadiums in Sydney, Nice and Watford, England, to go along with a seven-year old deal with FC Bayern Munich.

Media reports in 2012 suggest that three of the four most lucrative naming-rights deals signed this year belong to German bank Allianz.
Rank	Stadium (Country)	Buyer	No. of Years	Avg. Annual Value	Total Value
1.	Allianz Stadium (Australia)	Allianz	10	$2.5M	$25M
2.	Allianz Riviera (France)*	Allianz	9	$2.2M	$19.8M
3.	Allianz Park (U.K.)*	Allianz	6	$2.1M	$12.4M
4.	Betfair Hollywood Park (U.S.)	Betfair	5	$2M	$10M
* Under construction, scheduled to open in '13