Spanish LaLiga champion Barcelona has engaged US firm Van Wagner Sports and Entertainment to help broker a naming rights deal for its Camp Nou stadium, according to Sport.
The Barcelona-based newspaper said the football club will seek to commence the process to secure a sponsor next month, with the goal of finalising a deal in time for its general assembly meeting in 2016.
Sport said Barcelona has appointed Van Wagner due to its expertise in the naming rights field where it has brokered deals for 16 clients, including MetLife’s partnership with NFL American football franchises the New York Giants and Jets, and English Premier League football club Arsenal’s deal with Emirates.
In May, Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu suggested the club could raise around €200m ($212m) by selling the naming rights to the iconic Camp Nou. Bartomeu, speaking at the unveiling of a report by financial consultants Deloitte on the economic impact Barcelona has on its home city’s economy, said that a “trade name” could be added to the Camp Nou moniker, which would retain its traditional name within any deal.
Funds from a naming rights agreement would help to finance Espai Barça, a project including redevelopment of the Camp Nou and the building of the new Palau Blaugrana stadium and complex with an estimated overall cost of €600m. Bartomeu said any prospective naming rights deal would run for 15 or 20 years.