NFL American football franchise the Buffalo Bills yesterday (Thursday) confirmed that it had reached an agreement with New Era Cap Company for the naming rights of its home stadium.
The 71,000-capacity venue will now be known as New Era Field until at least 2023, when the Bills’ stadium lease expires. New Era will hold the right of first refusal to extend the deal when the lease expires and if the team decides to move to a new stadium.
New Era’s branding will be gradually integrated on to the stadium’s exterior, while a range of digital and social media initiatives will be organised in and around the ground. A new exclusive cap collection will also launch when the Bills host the New York Jets on September 15.
“It was important to the Bills organisation that a stadium naming rights agreement made sense,” Bills owner and chief executive Terry Pegula said. “In joining New Era today for this landmark announcement, we have a partner that makes sense on so many levels.
“New Era is a company recognised for its integrity and quality on a global platform, while at the same time, representing the very fabric of Western New York. In partnering with our organisation and the opportunities associated with the NFL brand, we feel that this agreement showcases two of the more recognised local brands not only for the benefit of our two franchises, but one that reflects well on our entire community.”
New Era is a long-term partner of the Bills and also holds sponsorship deals with the NFL, the NBA basketball league, the NHL ice hockey league and Major League Baseball.
New Era Field had previously been known as Ralph Wilson Stadium, after the team’s founding owner, since 1998. Wilson passed away in 2014 and the franchise was later sold to Terry and Kim Pegula.