November 15 – English Championship club Derby County are to rename Pride Park the iPro Stadium in a 10-year sponsorship deal worth £7 million. A deal that the club maintain is the highest ‘independent’ deal (ie not involving ‘soft’ ownership sponsorship) outside the Premier League.
But the sum also re-emphasises the gulf in commercial revenue available between Premier League clubs and English football league clubs.
Derby will receive annual instalments from the £7 million deal but it is not renegotiable should the club reach the Premier League and its global audience.
Derby have a strong tradition of top flight football but in recent years have struggled to make a significant impact on their ambition to return to the Premier League. Derby moved to Pride Park from their Baseball Ground home in 1997.
The club recently parted company with Nigel Clough (son of the English managerial icon Brian), replacing him with former England manager Steve McClaren.
.
Derby chief executive Sam Rush told BBC Radio Derby: “We are all aiming to take this club to the Premier League and to do that we need significant revenue to invest in the club and playing staff.”
Rush added: “When I arrived at Derby in January I made it part of my strategy to identify all lines of revenue and the opportunity to drive revenue through stadium rights is significant, so that is the major driver.”
Explaining the challenge for Championship clubs to secure major sponsors, he said: “It is not easy securing partners for existing facilities. Add the criteria of finding a partner name and a brand that is acceptable, and you are in quite a small pool.
Cliff Bogle, managing director of iPro, said: “A young brand would not normally go down this route – it is a very bold move. It is something you might want to do after five or six years of being a business and established.
“So, yes, people might look at it as a bold move but they could also look at it and say ‘These guys are brave’. The way we look at it is ‘We are not embarking on this journey alone.'”
Bogle cites the US ownership of Derby and their involvement in and experience of other sports franchises as giving him the confidence to proceed with the sponsorship.
Contact the writer of this story at moc.l1734800965labto1734800965ofdlr1734800965owedi1734800965sni@n1734800965osloh1734800965cin.l1734800965uap1734800965