The Cincinnati Bengals franchise of North America’s National Football League (NFL) has agreed a deal with the local Hamilton County government that will see it stay at its current Paul Brown Stadium home through the 2035-36 NFL season.
Through the new deal, the two parties pledge to collaborate on the modernization of the stadium, with the Bengals committing to funding $120 million into the renovation project, covering 70% of the cost of stadium improvements, as part of an overall $470 million package, which the pair say they hope will come in part from the State of Ohio.
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The new 10-year lease comes with an option of an additional decade on top, which could bring the total agreement through 2046.
Speaking on the new lease deal, Bengals executive vice president Katie Blackburn commented: “We thank the Hamilton County Commissioners for supporting this agreement to ensure Paycor Stadium remains an excellent venue and a focal point for Cincinnati's riverfront.”
The Bengals claim that Paycor Stadium’s outlying riverside district, known as The Banks, generates “over $2.5 billion in annual economic impact”.
This new partnership will continue the expansion of the area, which already features shopping and dining locations as well as live event venues.
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By GlobalDataThe 65,500-seat venue, opened in 2000, was originally known as Paul Brown Stadium in honor of the Bengals’ founder, but was rechristened as the Paycor Stadium ahead of the 2022 season in a lucrative naming rights partnership with the titular cloud-based human resources platform.
That 16-year agreement will run through to June 2038, with the Bengals splitting the revenue from the deal with Hamilton County on a 70/30 basis.
Ahead of the 2024 campaign, the Bengals announced a tie-up with Sports Illustrated Tickets (SIT), the events and ticketing arm of the prestigious US sports publication, which covered all events at the Paycor Stadium, including both NFL fixtures and concerts.
SIT became the official fan experience partner of the Bengals and activated across the team's fixtures over the course of the 2024-25 campaign, providing fan engagement experiences for home games and hosting watch parties for away games.
The Bengals failed to make the playoffs during the 2024 NFL season, winning nine games and losing eight in total.
