Birmingham City has agreed a new partnership that will see its stadium, St. Andrews, renamed.
The deal with US-based Shelby Companies Limited, a subsidiary of Knighthead Capital Management, means that Blues’ ground will now be known as St. Andrew’s @ Knighthead Park.
The multi-million-pound, multi-year naming rights agreement has been described as the EFL Championship football club‘s‘biggest commercial deal’ in its history.
The news come six months after Knighthead acquired full ownership and control of St. Andrew’s and 45.96% ownership of Birmingham City Ltd.
As per the deal, the training ground will also be renamed The Knighthead Training and Academy Grounds, and a new fan ‘entertainment zone’ will be introduced on club-owned land close to the Tilton and Main Stand at the 29,409-seater-stadium.
Knighthead will also receive significant physical and digital branding in the deal.
All the changes will be launched before the end of the 2023/24 Sky Bet Championship season.
Birmingham City has revealed that the value of the agreement is based on an annual sponsorship fee, a men’s first team performance-related bonus and a club wide social media performance-related bonus.
Knighthead, which boasts former NFL star Tom Brady as an investor, has also committed to donating £100,000/annum, beginning at the start of the 2024/25 season, to the Birmingham City Football Club Foundation.
Knighthead Park has been described as ‘the first step in the club’s plan to build a Sports Quarter’ in the heart of Birmingham with the ambition of creating ‘a globally recognisable sporting and entertainment location.’
Tom Wagner, Chairman of Knighthead and Birmingham City FC, said, “St. Andrew’s @ Knighthead Park is step one in our plan to create a world-renowned ‘Sports Quarter’ in Birmingham. We invested in Blues because of the opportunity to not only transform a football club but to also be a catalyst for change in the city itself. Our ambition is bold. It is for the club to become a beacon of excellence for Birmingham.
“We are at an early stage in the journey, but we have already started to capture the imagination of a global audience. It is only going to grow. That is why the timing of the multi-year naming rights partnership is perfect and why it is so important to Knighthead.”
“We continue to invest heavily in the stadium and training grounds to make them fit for purpose. The process will continue as we pursue the development of the broader Knighthead Park. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to enter into a partnership that will grow the brands of both Knighthead and BCFC, while remaining true to our goal of achieving excellence across both enterprises.”
Garry Cook, Chief Executive Officer of Birmingham City, added, “Birmingham is now a global story and the club is at its epicentre. A worldwide audience has tuned in to what is happening at Blues, they want to find out more, and we have only just scratched the surface of what is possible. St. Andrew’s @ Knighthead Park and the ambitious plan for a ‘Sports Quarter’ will become a proxy brand for Knighthead. It will be world class and a clear statement of intent.”
“Knighthead has invested in Birmingham and is bringing a level of ambition that is going to improve the fortunes of both the club and the city itself. New thinking and approaches are required for football clubs to grow and compete. Our partnership is an example of this.
“We look at the football world differently and we know that creating broader awareness and engagement across social and other media platforms will increase our commercial growth opportunities. For Blues, this means the prospect of significant investment, both on and off the pitch. This is the future and yet another massive vote of confidence from Knighthead in Birmingham and in the transformation that we are driving at the club.”
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