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Chiefs market stadium moniker
A sale of the naming rights for Arrowhead, and for parts of it, could net the team millions.
By ADAM TEICHER
The Kansas City Star
The name of the place the Chiefs call home could be changing soon. But that doesn’t mean it won’t be “Arrowhead Stadium” anymore.
The Chiefs have started the process of selling Arrowhead’s naming rights, a benefit of their latest lease negotiations with Jackson County. But whatever the stadium is called, “Arrowhead” will continue to be at least part of its name, said Bill Newman, senior vice president.
“The sponsor will be as sensitive to that as we are,” Newman said. “The name ‘Arrowhead’ is quite sacred.”
Some teams have integrated a corporate title with a traditional and locally popular name in their stadiums. Invesco Field at Mile High Stadium, home of the NFL’s Denver Broncos, is an example.
Asked whether Arrowhead was headed for a similar type of name change, Newman said: “It’s possible, but that would need to be balanced by the integrity of that name. We’re going to approach this cautiously.”
The Chiefs would control all the revenue from any deal or deals to rename the stadium or any parts of it.
A naming-rights agreement for a stadium can garner several million dollars a year. Sprint Nextel Corp. has pledged to pay $2.5 million a year for 25 years for the right to name Kansas City’s new downtown arena the Sprint Center.
That figure, however, depends on the arena landing an NBA or an NHL franchise. If that does not happen, Sprint expects to pay about one-third less for the naming rights.
Whatever corporation that bought the naming rights at Arrowhead would have a team already in place — and a very popular one at that.
Ken Spain, an attorney who on behalf of the Chiefs negotiated the stadium lease with the county, said the lease did not require the team to keep the name “Arrowhead” in any form.
“That’s at the discretion of the Chiefs,” Spain said.
It’s uncertain what companies might be interested in securing Arrowhead’s naming rights. Several of the Kansas City area’s most prominent companies, ranging from Hallmark Cards Inc. to Cerner Corp., declined to comment Friday.
The Chiefs also could name their playing field after their late founder, Lamar Hunt.
“We’ve had a number of conversations about how we will go about honoring him,” Newman said. “Our intention is to do that whether it involves the name of the stadium or other things.”
Newman declined to be more specific, saying a variety of options were on the table.
Newman also said the Chiefs were looking at selling the naming rights to other areas, including their Truman Sports Complex practice facility, any party zones that might be included in a renovated stadium and the various stadium entrances.
“We have to find new sources of revenue,” Newman said. “We are the fifth-smallest market in the NFL. We have to be able to remain competitive with the other teams. We can’t let the size of our market be a competitive disadvantage for us.”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To reach Adam Teicher, call (816) 234-4875 or send e-mail to ateicher@kcstar.com.
LINK
A sale of the naming rights for Arrowhead, and for parts of it, could net the team millions.
By ADAM TEICHER
The Kansas City Star
The name of the place the Chiefs call home could be changing soon. But that doesn’t mean it won’t be “Arrowhead Stadium” anymore.
The Chiefs have started the process of selling Arrowhead’s naming rights, a benefit of their latest lease negotiations with Jackson County. But whatever the stadium is called, “Arrowhead” will continue to be at least part of its name, said Bill Newman, senior vice president.
“The sponsor will be as sensitive to that as we are,” Newman said. “The name ‘Arrowhead’ is quite sacred.”
Some teams have integrated a corporate title with a traditional and locally popular name in their stadiums. Invesco Field at Mile High Stadium, home of the NFL’s Denver Broncos, is an example.
Asked whether Arrowhead was headed for a similar type of name change, Newman said: “It’s possible, but that would need to be balanced by the integrity of that name. We’re going to approach this cautiously.”
The Chiefs would control all the revenue from any deal or deals to rename the stadium or any parts of it.
A naming-rights agreement for a stadium can garner several million dollars a year. Sprint Nextel Corp. has pledged to pay $2.5 million a year for 25 years for the right to name Kansas City’s new downtown arena the Sprint Center.
That figure, however, depends on the arena landing an NBA or an NHL franchise. If that does not happen, Sprint expects to pay about one-third less for the naming rights.
Whatever corporation that bought the naming rights at Arrowhead would have a team already in place — and a very popular one at that.
Ken Spain, an attorney who on behalf of the Chiefs negotiated the stadium lease with the county, said the lease did not require the team to keep the name “Arrowhead” in any form.
“That’s at the discretion of the Chiefs,” Spain said.
It’s uncertain what companies might be interested in securing Arrowhead’s naming rights. Several of the Kansas City area’s most prominent companies, ranging from Hallmark Cards Inc. to Cerner Corp., declined to comment Friday.
The Chiefs also could name their playing field after their late founder, Lamar Hunt.
“We’ve had a number of conversations about how we will go about honoring him,” Newman said. “Our intention is to do that whether it involves the name of the stadium or other things.”
Newman declined to be more specific, saying a variety of options were on the table.
Newman also said the Chiefs were looking at selling the naming rights to other areas, including their Truman Sports Complex practice facility, any party zones that might be included in a renovated stadium and the various stadium entrances.
“We have to find new sources of revenue,” Newman said. “We are the fifth-smallest market in the NFL. We have to be able to remain competitive with the other teams. We can’t let the size of our market be a competitive disadvantage for us.”
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To reach Adam Teicher, call (816) 234-4875 or send e-mail to ateicher@kcstar.com.
LINK
