A rendering of New York City FC’s Etihad Park stadium in Queens, New York.
Courtesy of New York City Football Club.
When New York City FC’s new stadium opens ahead of the 2027 Major League Soccer season, it will bear the name of a familiar partner.
According to a joint press release, the club is working with Etihad Airways to secure exclusive naming rights for the new venue in Queens, New York, which will be officially named Etihad Park. The 20-year agreement further deepens the partnership between the two parties that began in 2014.
“This is probably the most important commercial agreement in the history of our club,” New York City FC CEO Brad Sims told CNBC.
The new stadium marks a major step for the club, which currently plays its home games at Yankee Stadium and Citi Field. Sims said the new venue opened up lucrative partnership opportunities, with the naming rights deal being one that stands out.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Etihad Park was built with private funds.
Etihad Park isn’t the only new facility in Queens. The venue will be part of a larger public-private partnership develop This includes 2,500 new affordable housing units and a public school.
Attendance at the new stadium will not be limited to Major League Soccer (MLS) games, with the stadium and surrounding spaces also hosting non-soccer events such as concerts and festivals.
“It has the potential to be very versatile in this area, and from a business perspective it’s very important for us to host these events,” Sims said.
“I think it’s also important for the local community that this is a vibrant building that is open 17 times a year and is dark the rest of the time,” he said.
According to Deloitte’s forecast, by 2025, more than 300 sports venues will begin construction or renovation around the world, and the importance of multi-functional sports venues is increasingly valued.
“Having an anchor like a stadium is a way to create foot traffic, create buzz, really create a local connection with businesses and things like that, in a way that really drives those things forward,” said Deloitte principal Pete. George told CNBC .
As for why the new stadium is called Etihad Park, rather than “stadium” or “arena,” Sims said it’s a nod to New York City’s iconic green space.
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