Revealed: European stadium naming rights, fair market sponsorship values 2026

The Sponsor has today published the fair market sponsorship value of every major European stadium. Covering 75 stadiums, it represents the most comprehensive valuation and pricing analysis of European stadium naming rights conducted to date. The findings reveal a defined yet underutilised market, in which some stadium owners and sponsors are securing exceptional value while others are materially overpaying.

The full rankings, valuations and pricing benchmarks for all 75 stadiums are set out in The Sponsor’s European Stadium Naming Rights Fair Market Value Report. 

Fair market value (FMV) in sponsorship refers to the income a team or event can reasonably expect to receive for its sponsorship asset in an open-market, arm’s-length transaction with an unassociated party. It is calculated by benchmarking the strength of a sponsorship opportunity against comparable assets and observing the market sale prices of those assets.

For this reason, FMV is the only sponsorship pricing mechanism grounded in commercial reality, taking a holistic view of a sponsorship’s full worth beyond simple brand exposure.

Bernabéu beats Barcelona to become Europe’s most valuable stadium naming rights asset at €21.1m (£18.4m)

Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabéu is the most valuable stadium naming rights opportunity in Europe and the only stadium in the study to achieve a AAA+ sponsorship strength rating. No other venue in the dataset combines the attributes that drive naming-rights value as comprehensively.

Commenting on the findings, Sean Connell, Editor of The Sponsor, said:

“The Bernabéu’s value is driven by an unrivalled combination of global reach, elite fixtures, central-city prominence, heritage and brand-new infrastructure, reinforced by a €1bn redevelopment. With no naming partner currently in place, it stands as both the highest-valued stadium in Europe and the most attractive naming rights opportunity on the market.”

The stadium’s consistent hosting of high-profile domestic and European fixtures, coupled with its year-round commercial usability, places it firmly at the top of the European naming-rights market.

Top 10 Results: Click here for full results.

Europe’s top 75 stadiums hold €520m (£455m) in sponsorship value, revealing a predictable naming rights market

The European stadium naming rights market offers significant opportunities, with two-thirds of venues without a naming partner. Amongst the Top 10, only four have secured a naming rights partner, showing that value and opportunities exist throughout the market from top to bottom.

Germany is the most mature market in the data set, with 14 of the 18 Bundesliga stadiums having secured a naming-rights partner. The average deal value aligns closely with the average fair market valuation of €8.5m (£7.3m), suggesting that when clubs price their assets in line with market expectations, they are more likely to secure long-term partnerships.

While some reported deals deviate from fair market value, the European stadium naming-rights market shows a high degree of consistency and alignment overall. When deals are completed, they are typically priced at or near market value.

This stands in contrast to front-of-shirt and sleeve sponsorships in the Premier League, where reported deal values fluctuate widely from fair market value in The Sponsor’s annual study. While front-of-shirt sponsorship has, in some cases, secured inflated pricing driven by gambling brands, the European stadium naming-rights market, though smaller, is considerably more predictable, with clearer boundaries around what sponsors are and are not willing to pay.

Welsh Rugby Union left €51m (£45m) on the table with Principality Stadium deal

The Welsh Rugby Union's 10-year partnership with the Principality Building Society for rights to the Principality Stadium in Cardiff is the most undersold stadium partnership across the data set. The reported deal is €5.1m (£4.5m) below fair market value, resulting in €51m (£45m) shortfall of commercial income to the WRU over the course of the partnership.

At the other end of the scale, Juventus has secured the most favourable stadium naming rights agreement in its partnership with the Allianz Stadium in Turin. The German insurance provider pays €3.3m (£2.9m) above fair market value for the rights to the Juventus stadium while paying slightly below market value to obtain the long-standing rights to the Allianz Arena in Munich. This divergence from fair market value shows that individual sponsors may assign higher or lower valuations to a sponsorship asset depending on how well it serves their specific objectives. Across the full report, there are examples of sponsors and rights holders that have secured favourable and unfavourable stadium naming rights agreements relative to their true economic market value.

Beyond assessing existing agreements, the research also demonstrates how fair market value can be applied prospectively to inform long-term asset strategy and redevelopment planning.

Manchester United’s ‘New Trafford’ could unlock more than €200m in long-term naming rights value

By applying the proposed stadium’s projected 100,000 capacity and assuming delivery to the highest environmental and infrastructure standards, The Sponsor’s analysts modelled the potential uplift in naming rights value.

The analysis indicates an annual fair market value for naming rights of approximately €17.2m (£15m), equating to €172m (£150m) over a 10-year agreement. Should the club maintain its current sporting profile and increase global exposure through regular participation in the UEFA Champions League, the long-term value of a naming rights partnership could exceed €200m.

The valuation reflects the scale of the redevelopment, projected capacity, modern infrastructure, Manchester United’s global fanbase, and the international reach of the Premier League.

Report access

This article highlights selected findings from the research.

The full European Stadium Naming Rights Fair Market Value Report includes:

• Fair market strength and values for all 75 of Europe’s largest stadiums

• Identification of over- and undervalued naming rights deals

• Stadium naming rights: drivers of demand analysis

• Pricing insights and market data

• Country and sector-level analysis

• Exclusive interview with leading stadium sponsor

• Full market regression-based valuation methodology

→ Access the full report here

About the valuation

The Sponsor is an independent valuation publisher with no vested or commercial interest in the outcome of the research. The valuation has been conducted in accordance with the principles of the International Valuation Standards (IVS 105 – Valuation Approaches and Methods).

Fair market value is determined using a market regression analysis that benchmarks each stadium against comparable assets, based on the prices those assets have achieved in open-market naming rights deals.

The analysis represents a point-in-time valuation as of 23:59 on 19 December 2025 and does not seek to forecast future on-pitch performance. Clubs and sponsors may therefore place higher or lower values on assets based on their own assumptions, forecasts and agreement lengths.

For further information regarding a valuation of your stadium or any other sponsorship asset, contact The Sponsor at enquiries@thesponsor.com.

Premier League Fair Market  Sponsorship Values Revealed (June 2025)