Bank of America since 2004 had been paying $7M annually, or $140M over 20 years, to entitle the stadium as part of a broader sponsorshipGetty Images
The Panthers have renewed a stadium naming-rights deal with hometown Bank of America, sources said, extending the two-decade sponsorship just weeks before it was set to expire. Terms of the extension are not yet known, including the price tag or duration, and whether Bank of America secured a right of first refusal or other contingencies if the organization builds a replacement venue. Bank of America since 2004 had been paying $7M annually, or $140M over 20 years, to entitle the Charlotte stadium as part of a broader sponsorship. However, in looking for a new long-term deal over the past year, Tepper S&E was known to be seeking a substantial increase. Their rationale was the stadium’s big increase in usage -- from about 10 ticketed events annually to 40 since David Tepper acquired the Panthers in 2018 and an MLS expansion team in 2019. They argued the renewed vitality overcame the age of the 27-year-old stadium, which usually works against increases to naming rights. Bank of America Stadium first opened in 1996 as Ericsson Stadium and is among the oldest venues in the NFL not to have undergone a comprehensive renovation, though Tepper has made various upgrades since taking over. Sources said that the Panthers and BoA negotiated the deal directly.
