Barcelona in Negotiations to Sell Nou Camp Naming Rights

The Catalan football powerhouse are looking at ways to raise additional funds, as they’re about to commence an expansion project for their iconic stadium Nou Camp that is set to cost €600m. According to online gambling news, having a corporate sponsor bear their name on Barcelona’s stadium could help bring in as much as half of the expansion costs, making this a worthwhile proposition for the club.

Several companies are interested in sponsoring Nou Camp Nou

Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu says the club’s board is currently negotiating deals with two or companies that have expressed interest in sponsoring the refurbished and expanded ground when it’s set to be completed in 2021. It remains unclear though as to how the stadium will be officially called once the naming rights are sold to a company; considering the club’s history and their reluctance towards deals involving corporate sponsors, we’re willing to predict a combination of the original name plus the sponsor’s name: “Nou Camp Nou by X Company” or “X Company Nou Camp Nou.”

With the Nou Camp expansion costing a whopping €600m, Bartomeu stressed the club can raise half (€300m) of the finances through a sponsorship deal, which will significantly lessen the burden on Barcelona’s economic plan. The expansion project is dubbed “Espai Barca” but it doesn’t only involve the Nou Camp, but the whole sporting complex that surround the football stadium – this includes smaller arenas and stadiums that the club’s other sports play in.

It is believed that Barcelona members – who own the club – had previously rejected the idea of selling the ground’s naming rights, but lately they seem to have had a chance of heart; perhaps the club’s president was able to convince them that a path without sponsorship wouldn’t be sustainable in the long-run.

The €600m expansion project will increase the capacity to 105,000 (source: Barcelona Yellow)

Barcelona is looking really good financially

The club is raking in hundreds of millions every year through their various business streams that mainly come from sponsorship agreements with some of the most well-known companies in the world. Barcelona receives the biggest share of their revenues from American sportswear provider Nike and Japanese online retailer Rakuten – the former being the kit manufacturer, while the latter is their main sponsor emblazed across the shirts. Other notable sponsors include: Beko, Gillette, Estrella, Konami (Pro Evolution Soccer), Caixa Bank and Audi, among others.

“This year we will finish our season with €900m in revenues, which is quite high,” president Bartomeu said, before adding the club will reach the €1 billion milestone within the next three seasons thanks to their great financial performance. “With the way things are going, we are going to be (making revenues of) €1b before the 2020/21 season, which is good news of the members of the club and it also means the industry of football is growing.”

Bartomeu also added the team will continue to be centered around Lionel Messi, who is in his first year of his four-year contract extension that he signed last year, per online sportsbooks in Spain. This means the Argentine will get to see the completion of the renovated Nou Camp in 2021 and may even end up playing there in front of 105,000 strong supporters if he extends his contract even longer in the meantime.