Sports Illustrated has had an eventful couple years. The iconic brand has experienced an ownership saga, rounds of layoffs, rounds of rehires, and a number of diversification efforts to leverage the brand into something more than simply a place that produces sports journalism.
That was once again on display Wednesday when reports surfaced that Sports Illustrated Tickets, an online ticketing marketplace donning the SI branding, will be the stadium naming rights sponsor of the New York Red Bulls of MLS. The venue will be called Sports Illustrated Stadium.
Per The Athletic, the agreement is for 13 years and is in the nine-figure range (though official financial terms for the deal were not disclosed). If that figure is accurate, that would make it one of the three most lucrative stadium naming rights deals in MLS.
“We looked at a lot of different opportunities for naming rights, and I think for 70 years, to have a moment where it’s the family of Sports Illustrated companies coming together, that was what we needed,” Sports Illustrated Tickets’ CEO, David Lane, told The Athletic.
As part of the agreement, Sports Illustrated Tickets will become the official ticketing partner for all events at the stadium. Per the report, Red Bulls New York President Marc de Grandpré plans to host more concerts and other non-Red Bulls sporting events at the stadium. The venue is also the current home of the NWSL’s Gotham FC.
The sponsorship marks a continuation for the SI brand from one traditionally known for its sports writing, reporting, and photographs, to a more wide-reaching enterprise whose revenue drivers lie outside of journalism.
About Drew Lerner
Drew Lerner is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and an aspiring cable subscriber. He previously covered sports media for Sports Media Watch. Future beat writer for the Oasis reunion tour.