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Naming Rights & Sponsorships

ArentFox Schiff’s nationally recognized sports practice has decades of experience advising clients in connection with high-profile naming rights and sponsorship transactions. Our attorneys advise clients on both sides of naming rights and sponsorship transactions, bringing in-depth industry knowledge to facilitate negotiations.

Our naming rights and sponsorships practice is among the most active practices in the nation, advising on major transactions coast-to-coast. We have negotiated a number of historic deals, ranging from counseling Brooklyn Arena, LLC and the then-New Jersey Nets in connection with the Barclays Center naming rights transaction, the largest arena naming rights and team sponsorship transaction in the history of sports and entertainment at the time, to recent headline-grabbing agreements such as a groundbreaking twenty-year naming rights and sponsorship transaction with SoFi that makes the digital personal finance company the exclusive naming rights sponsor of SoFi Stadium, the home of the Los Angeles Chargers and the Los Angeles Rams, as well as representing Amazon in a naming rights transaction for the “Climate Pledge Arena,” the home of Seattle’s new NHL team, the Seattle Kraken and the WNBA’s Seattle Storm, which is expected to be the first net zero carbon certified arena in the world and set a new sustainability bar for the sports and events industry.

Perspectives on Naming Rights & Sponsorships

Our Work

  • SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park: Representation in a ten-year naming rights transaction with YouTube for “YouTube Theater,” a 6,000-seat performance venue at the Hollywood Park sports and entertainment complex. YouTube will be the exclusive video services and music streaming services partner of YouTube Theater, SoFi Stadium, Hollywood Park, and the Rams and Chargers.
  • SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park: Representation in a groundbreaking twenty-year naming rights and sponsorship transaction with SoFi that makes the digital personal finance company the exclusive naming rights partner of SoFi Stadium, the home of the Los Angeles Chargers and the Los Angeles Rams, and the official partner of each of the teams, as well as a partner of the performance venue and surrounding entertainment district.
  • SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park: Representation in a multi-year partnership for Google Cloud to power SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park’s digital innovation experiences—and YouTube to become the official video streaming sponsor of the Rams, Chargers, SoFi Stadium, and Hollywood Park.
  • SoFi Stadium and Hollywood Park: Representation in connection with all major sponsorship transactions for SoFi Stadium, the 6,000-seat flex performance venue, and the entertainment district adjacent to SoFi Stadium. This work encompasses a multitude of high profile sponsorship transactions, including with PepsiCo, American Airlines Group Inc., Samsung, Ball Corp., Cisco Systems Inc., Constellation, and the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Indians.

  • Credit Karma: Representation of Credit Karma in a multi-year jersey patch sponsorship transaction with the Houston Rockets, which includes substantial in-arena and online presence and support of team community engagement efforts, along with Credit Karma Money becoming the presenting partner of the Rockets’ “First Shot” pre-game program.

  • Board of Trustees of the California State University (on behalf of its San Diego State University Campus): Representation of the Board of Trustees of the California State University, on behalf of its San Diego State University campus, in connection with all naming rights and sponsorship transactions relating to the new multipurpose sports and entertainment venue currently under construction on the San Diego State University (“SDSU”) Mission Valley site in San Diego, California, which, once completed, will serve as the home venue for SDSU’s men’s intercollegiate football team and other SDSU intercollegiate National Collegiate Athletic Association teams.
  • AT&T: Representation of the Miami Heat in a multi-year sponsorship transaction with AT&T, pursuant to which AT&T is designated the Official Sponsor and 5G Innovation Partner of the Miami Heat NBA franchise and the arena in which it plays, with a focus on applying AT&T’s technology to enhance live and virtual fan experiences, and on expanding diversity, equity and inclusion, and community.
  • Total Quality Logistics: Representation in a multi-year naming rights transaction with FC Cincinnati for “TQL Stadium,” a state-of-the-art venue that is one of the largest soccer-specific facilities in Major League Soccer and is the home field for FC Cincinnati.
  • Amazon: Representation in a naming rights transaction for the “Climate Pledge Arena,” the home of Seattle’s new NHL team, the Seattle Kraken, and WNBA’s Seattle Storm, which is the first net zero carbon certified arena in the world and sets a new sustainability bar for the sports and events industry.
  • Q2 Holdings: Representation in a naming rights transaction with Austin FC for “Q2 Stadium,” a multi-purpose venue, and the latest soccer-specific stadium in Major League Soccer, and the first and only major league venue in Austin.
  • United Airlines Field at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum: Representation of Fox Sports and the University of Southern California in a naming rights transaction in connection with the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.
  • Rakuten: Representation of Rakuten in a multiyear partnership with the Golden State Warriors and the National Basketball Association that placed the company’s logo on all of the team’s regular, practice, post-season, and Summer League uniforms, and retail jerseys, as well as named the team’s practice facility in Oakland. Rakuten also became the team’s exclusive official partner for e-commerce, instant messaging, and internet calling among other designations.
  • Dickies Arena: Representation of Williamson-Dickie Manufacturing Co. in an arena naming rights transaction with the City of Fort Worth.
  • Intel: Representation in connection with various sports rights transactions, including its worldwide partnership with the International Olympic Committee and promotional rights with the National Football League.
  • Salesforce Transit Center: Representation of the Transbay Joint Powers Authority in a naming rights transaction with Salesforce.
  • Lumen Field (previously known as CenturyLink Field): Representation of the Seattle Seahawks in a stadium naming rights renewal transaction with CenturyLink, Inc. and the subsequent renaming to Lumen Field.
  • Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum, presented by New York Community Bank: Representation of Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment (BSE) in a naming rights transaction for the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
  • UCLA Health Training Center: Representation of the Los Angeles Lakers on a long-term partnership with UCLA Health, including naming rights to the Lakers’ practice facility and exclusive UCLA Health in-game health care  support.
  • Hard Rock Stadium: Representation of the Miami Dolphins in an 18-year stadium naming rights agreement with Hard Rock International.
  • Inova Sports Performance Center: Representation in connection with its multi-year training facility and headquarters naming rights and sponsorship transaction with the Washington Football Team.
  • Mercedes-Benz Stadium: Representation of Mercedes-Benz in a naming rights and sponsorship transaction with the Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United FC for Atlanta’s new iconic stadium.
  • Golden 1 Center: Representation of Golden 1 Credit Union in connection with the Golden 1 Center naming rights and sponsorship transaction with the Sacramento Kings, which was reportedly one of the largest naming
    rights transactions for a single-tenant NBA arena.
  • Levi’s Stadium: Representation of the San Francisco 49ers in a naming rights and sponsorship transaction with Levi Strauss & Co. for Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
  • Albertson’s Stadium: Representation of Albertsons in connection with its naming rights and corporate sponsorship of the Boise State University football stadium.
  • Barclays Center: Representation of Brooklyn Arena LLC and the Brooklyn Nets in connection with the Barclays Center naming rights transaction, the largest arena naming rights and team sponsorship
    transaction in the history of sports and entertainment at the time.
  • Moda Center: Representation of the Portland Trail Blazers in connection with the naming rights and team sponsorship transaction for the Moda Center.
  • Spectrum Center: Representation of the Charlotte Hornets in a naming rights and team sponsorship transaction with Time Warner Cable (the predecessor to Spectrum)  for the Spectrum Center (previously known as Time Warner Cable Arena) in Charlotte, North Carolina.
  • PPL Park (now Subaru Park): Representation of PPL Energy Plus in connection with the sponsorship of Major League Soccer franchise, Philadelphia Union, as well as the naming rights and sponsorship transaction with PPL Park in Chester, Pennsylvania.
  • Capital One Arena: Representation of the Washington Wizards and DC Arena LP in connection with the initial MCI Center naming rights transaction and the renaming of the MCI Center to Verizon Center (which is currently known as the Capital One Arena).
  • PPL Center: Representation of PPL Services Corporation in connection with the naming rights agreement for the 8,500-seat hockey arena in downtown Allentown, PA known as PPL Center.
  • AT&T Park: Representation of Pacific Bell in connection with its naming rights agreement for the home of the San Francisco Giants.
  • Alltech: Representation of Alltech in connection with the title sponsorship agreement for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™, located in Lexington, Kentucky, then the largest equestrian sporting event ever held in the United States.
  • DC United: Representation of DC United in connection with several sponsorship transactions.
  • NHL Enterprises: Representation of NHLE in the negotiation of numerous sponsorship transactions, including the Ticketmaster sponsorship.
  • United States Tennis Association: Representation of the USTA in connection with various sponsorship transactions related to the US Open.
  • Seiko Epson: Representation of Seiko Epson in its acquisition of worldwide sponsorship and local media rights to Manchester United of the English Premier League.