National auto Rental has reportedly signed a US$158 million deal for the naming rights to a proposed new stadium in St. Louis, Missouri. The stadium would be called National vehicle Rental Field.
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On Saturday I wrote about National vehicle Rental registering domain names related to naming rights for a sports stadium. The money will go either to the team owner or the sports authority, depending on what agreement is ultimately reached, said Dave Peacock, co-leader of the stadium task force appointed by Gov. Jay Nixon.
The city of St. Louis is pushing hard to keep the Rams in town despite owner Stan Kroenke’s desire to move them to Southern California.
The Rams’ current home, the Edward Jones Dome, was built completely with taxpayer funds, opening in 1995. It’s unclear if they made an offer for the new stadium’s naming rights or were offered a chance to outbid Enterprise. “For now, the important takeaway is the confidence of National Rental auto in what this agreement will mean for the NFL and the future of St. Louis”. Kroenke and the Rams were not involved in the deal.
Stadium naming rights have become an big money maker for new stadiums.
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“The commitment to keeping the National Football League in St. Louis is as much a civic commitment as a brand commitment”, said Patrick Farrell, chief marketing and communications officer for Enterprise Holdings, which is headquartered in St. Louis. Farmers Insurance had an agreement in place to sponsor a proposed Los Angeles Stadium, but that deal has since expired.
