The sponsorship race to secure the naming rights of the San Siro stadium site continues. Inter Milan and AC Milan are looking to secure a hefty £26 million investment per season.
While the new stadium is now set to begin the first phases of work at the end of the season, it is not set to open until 2030 at the earliest, so naming-rights talks remain in early stages.
Yet, commercial interest in the stadium remains strong, and a variety of companies have emerged as key frontrunners or potential partners.
A Range Of Current Frontrunners Are Appearing
Currently, Italian reports name Generaldi, one of Italy’s biggest insurance companies, as one of the early candidates for the sponsorship.
The company supposedly has a tendency to bring in sports partnerships. Italian media have reported that the clubs are looking to bring in a major corporate name for the project, for both the naming rights and to fuel major financial investment.
Similar corporate partnerships have ensued in Milan, with a recent naming rights deal for Arena Milano now meaning the indoor stadium will be the Unipol Dome. Deals like this suggest Italy’s corporate sector is willing to foster investment and seek sponsorship from stadium partnerships.
The stadium reflects how commercial interest in European football, specifically stadium partnerships, is evolving across the industry, with corporate sponsorship taking centre stage.
Inter & AC Milan Current Main Sponsorships
Both Inter and AC Milan are currently in partnership with energy company Enel, which acts as the official energy partner for the clubs and a premium club partner to AC Milan.
This partnership with both clubs has led some to suggest Enel could also be well-positioned in the San Siro sponsorship race, though no official reports have been released.
Inter Milan have previously made headlines with their sponsorship deals, having secured the most valuable shirt sponsorship of the Serie A season through their partnership with infotainment brand Bettson Sport.
As the main partner for Inter Milan, the deal allegedly brought in $41 million, putting them above AC Milan and Juventus and showing their appetite for high-value sponsorship deals.
Although front of shirt sponsorship by gambling companies is illegal in Italy, the Bettson Sport offering is the infotainment and sports news wing of the gambling brand, allowing them to appear on the front of the shirt. Similar sponsorship trends have appeared in sports markets such as the United States.
Prediction markets, which allow you to buy a share in the outcome of an event, have also been growing in popularity in sports, acting as an alternative to traditional ‘betting’ platforms. For example, this Novig promo code and other prediction platform promotions show how prediction companies are seeking to expand their users. Their entry into sports sponsorship in the United States has been down to backing from the Federal government, as well as their classification as federally regulated derivatives, rather than as gambling platforms.
Major League Soccer recently signed a deal with one of the biggest prediction providers. The MLB should do the same.
Inter’s main partnership with Bettson Sport will last at least until 2028, and there’s been little suggestion yet that their partnership could expand to include the new San Siro project.
Discussion on the official naming rights sponsor for San Siro is likely to continue for some months to come.