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Back in May, it was reported that United Airlines, who was mired in a PR nightmare at the time, was purchasing the naming rights to the Memorial Coliseum for a total of $70 million (or, $4.7 million per year over 15 years). Some cried foul, saying that the coliseum was sacred grounds.
Now, Angelenos sports fans may have a new thing to gripe about, as multiple sources have told SportsBusiness Daily that Dodger Stadium, which is owned by global investment firm Guggenheim Partners, is selling the naming rights to its field for a lofty $12 million a year. The report says that this option has been on the market since spring.
Take note that this regards the naming rights for the field, and not the entire stadium. SportsBusiness Daily says that, if someone does buy in, the end result would be something along the lines of "[Insert company] Field at Dodger Stadium." This maneuver would let the stadium have it both ways: obtain cash flow from a new sponsorship, and still let fans refer to Dodger Stadium as "Dodger Stadium."
Of course, some people aren't too jazzed about the news:
Sacrilege at its worst. A billion dollar enterprise wanting naming rights for their iconic stadium THAT DOESN'T NEED ANOTHER NAME. https://t.co/w7UAwl8Th3
— Bony Scribe (@bonyscribe) July 18, 2017
If true, can the City of LA or CA State Legislature (forever meddling in things) find a way to halt this?#Dodgershttps://t.co/eBTrUMdsUm
— Bill Whalen (@billwhalenCA) July 18, 2017
And this guy's got a plan:
We should set up a GoFundMe campaign to see if we can raise enough money to name it "Vin Scully Field at Dodger Stadium." #Dodgers
— David (@TwittinSports) July 18, 2017
For a sense of scope, Citigroup is paying $21 million per season for the naming rights at Citi Field, which houses the New York Mets—this is the richest naming rights deal in American sports, according to the New York Times. Atlanta's Philips Arena and Houston's Reliant Stadium have deals that hit the $12 million dollar mark—the amount that the Dodgers are requesting.
While these high price tags are now common for naming rights, the case for Dodger Stadium remains an anomaly; would anyone really shell out that much money if fans are just going to keep calling it Dodger Stadium?
Also of note, Stan Kroenke and the Rams are also looking to sell the naming rights for their upcoming stadium in Inglewood. CBS says that they're looking for a company to commit to $30 million per year for at least 20 years. If it happens it will be the most expensive naming deal in NFL history.