Man Utd sponsor Snapdragon interested in Old Trafford naming rights
Manchester United’s new principal shirt sponsor, Snapdragon, is interested in obtaining naming rights to Old Trafford.
The Qualcomm-owned tech company became the Red Devils’ new shirt sponsor for the 2024/25 season, signing a reported £60m a year deal that makes it the most lucrative ever for a football club.
In total, the contract is reportedly worth £180m over a three-year duration.
Snapdragon’s Chief Marketing Officer, Don McGuire, said, “Old Trafford is Old Trafford, it should always be Old Trafford.
“But if there is a brand attached to that in some way shape or form, powered by someone, an ‘at’ or whatever, for example, this is Snapdragon Stadium at Bashor Field.”
Recent reports have suggested that Sir Jim Ratcliffe, United’s new part-owner, favoured the construction of a new 100,000-seater stadium to replace the Theatre of Dreams, which has been home to the 20-time England champions since 1910.
Following Ratcliffe’s arrival in February, the club appointed a new task force to evaluate options for a ‘world class’ venue that could rival Wembley Stadium.
“We are working very closely with the team on the reimagination of Old Trafford from a technology and innovation standpoint and Carrington both.
“So if that leads to something bigger, where it would make sense for us to go even bigger – this [shirt partnership] is pretty big by the way, not inexpensive – we are always looking out for opportunities.”
In June, The Athletic reported that the Premier League giants were considering selling naming rights to either Old Trafford or the new venue.
Any potential agreement would mark the latest naming rights pact for the California-based company. In 2021, Snapdragon signed a 15-year, reported $45m deal for the San Diego State Aztecs’ new stadium, which opened in 2022.
A new stadium would reportedly command a fee of more than £2bn over six years, with Ratcliffe aiming for the club to have made its decision by the end of 2024.
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