Birmingham City, the second-tier English soccer club, have sold the naming rights to their home venue after signing a "multi-million pound, multi-year" deal with US-based Shelby Companies Limited, a subsidiary of Knighthead Capital Management, which took over the club last year.
Under the new deal, the club's stadium will be re-named St. Andrew's @ Knighthead Park, the Club's Wast Hills training ground will be renamed The Knighthead Training and Academy Grounds, and a new fan entertainment zone @ Knighthead Park will be built on Club-owned land close to the Main Stand at the stadium.
Go deeper with GlobalData
The re-named stadium, training ground, and new fan zone will launch before the end of the 2023-24 Championship season.
The agreement includes an annual sponsorship fee, a men's first-team performance-related bonus, and a club-wide social media performance-related bonus.
As part of the partnership, Knighthead will also receive significant physical and digital branding rights across the stadium, training grounds, and all club-owned channels, with the company donating £100,000 ($127,220) per year to the Birmingham City Football Club Foundation from the start of the 2024-25 season.
Knighthead acquired full ownership and control of the St. Andrew's stadium and 45.96% ownership of Birmingham City Ltd in July 2023.
How well do you really know your competitors?
Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.
Thank you!
Your download email will arrive shortly
Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample
We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form
By GlobalDataChairman of Knighthead and Birmingham City FC, Tom Wagner, said: "St. Andrew's @ Knighthead Park is step one in our plan to create a world-renowned Sports Quarter in Birmingham. We invested in Blues because of the opportunity to not only transform a football club but to also be a catalyst for change in the city itself.
“We are at an early stage in the journey, but we have already started to capture the imagination of a global audience. It is only going to grow. That is why the timing of the multi-year naming rights partnership is perfect and why it is so important to Knighthead.
"We continue to invest heavily in the Stadium and training grounds to make them fit for purpose. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to enter into a partnership that will grow the brands of both Knighthead and BCFC, while remaining true to our goal of achieving excellence across both enterprises."
Birmingham City chief executive, Garry Cook, added: "Birmingham is now a global story and the club is at its epicenter. A worldwide audience has tuned in to what is happening at Blues, they want to find out more, and we have only just scratched the surface of what is possible.
“St. Andrew's @ Knighthead Park and the ambitious plan for a Sports Quarter will become a proxy brand for Knighthead. It will be world-class and a clear statement of intent.
"Knighthead has invested in Birmingham and is bringing a level of ambition that is going to improve the fortunes of both the club and the city itself. New thinking and approaches are required for football clubs to grow and compete. Our partnership is an example of this.
“We look at the football world differently and we know that creating broader awareness and engagement across social and other media platforms will increase our commercial growth opportunities."
