Bernabéu tops naming rights value table

Article posted by Coliseum, February 13^th, 2026

Image: Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, Luis García (Zaqarbal), CC BY-SA 4.0

Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabéu stadium has been revealed as Europe’s most valuable stadium naming rights asset, valued at €21.1m (£18.4m) per year.

The figures were revealed in The Sponsor’s European Stadium Naming Rights Fair Market Value Report.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

The top 10 are:

Estadio Santiago Bernabéu – €21.1 million per year
Spotify Camp Nou – €18.5 million per year
Allianz Arena – €16.4 million per year
Emirates Stadium – €14.5 million per year
Wembley Stadium – €14.4 million per year
Parc des Princes – €13.4 million per year
Tottenham Hotspur Stadium – €12.9 million per year
Etihad Stadium – €12.6 million per year
Stade de France – €11.8 million per year
Anfield – €11.7 million per year

European market

The Sponsor further stated that 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.

The report suggests that Welsh Rugby Union left €51m (£45m) on the table with the 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.

New Old Trafford

Meanwhile, the report suggests 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.

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