Old Spice Trafford: Which brands could splash £150m sponsoring Manchester United’s new stadium?

Experts suggest that technology, financial services, and northern brands could be the ones to invest £150 million to sponsor Manchester United's upcoming New Trafford Stadium. Only eight out of the 20 Premier League teams currently have naming rights sponsors for their stadiums, with Arsenal, Manchester City, and Everton being the most notable, each sponsored by Emirates, Etihad, and Hill Dickinson respectively.

It is believed that Manchester United could capitalize on its planned 100,000-capacity New Trafford stadium by branding it, but The Sponsor suggests they would struggle to reach £10 million per season. This is far behind the values commanded by Spanish giants Barcelona and Real Madrid.

However, a brand new arena as part of a larger development in Manchester could command nearly £15 million annually, or £150 million over a 10-year deal. Some US deals have reached around £60 million per year. If Manchester United's on-pitch performances continue to improve and rival those of Manchester City or Arsenal, the value could rise further, potentially reaching the levels of Real Madrid and Barcelona, which have been reported to have £200 million deals.

The pool of potential sponsors with the financial resources to support such a deal is relatively small. Manchester United, currently Premier League leaders, are not alone in their pursuit of sponsorship opportunities. Other Premier League clubs such as Bournemouth, Brighton and Hove Albion, Hull City, Brentford, and Coventry City have deals with various brands.

Existing partners Snapdragon and DHL, tech brands like Adobe, and financial service brands like eToro are among the frontrunners, with Old Spice being a potential match for one of Procter & Gamble's grooming brands.