The English football club, Birmingham City FC have signed a stadium naming rights agreement with the investment advisory company, Knighthead.
As per the deal, Birmingham City FC’s home stadium will be renamed St. Andrew’s @ Knighthead Park. Along with it, the Club’s Wast Hills training ground will get the new name as The Knighthead Training and Academy Grounds.
The deal also includes an annual sponsorship fee, a performance-based bonus for the men’s first team, and a bonus for the club’s social media success.
In addition, Knighthead will receive major rights to brand itself both physically and digitally throughout the stadium, training facilities, and all club-owned media outlets as part of the partnership. Beginning with the 2024–25 season, the company will also donate £100,000 ($127,220) annually to the Birmingham City Football Club Foundation.
Tom Wagner, Chairman of Knighthead and Birmingham City FC, commented, “St. Andrew’s @ Knighthead Park is step one in our plan to create a world-renowned Sports Quarter in Birmingham. We invested in Blues because of the opportunity to not only transform a football club but to also be a catalyst for change in the city itself.”
He also expressed, “We are at an early stage in the journey, but we have already started to capture the imagination of a global audience. It is only going to grow. That is why the timing of the multi-year naming rights partnership is perfect and why it is so important to Knighthead. We continue to invest heavily in the Stadium and training grounds to make them fit for purpose. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to enter into a partnership that will grow the brands of both Knighthead and BCFC, while remaining true to our goal of achieving excellence across both enterprises.”
Garry Cook, Chief Executive, Birmingham City FC, stated, “Birmingham is now a global story and the club is at its epicenter. A worldwide audience has tuned in to what is happening at Blues, they want to find out more, and we have only just scratched the surface of what is possible. St. Andrew’s @ Knighthead Park and the ambitious plan for a Sports Quarter will become a proxy brand for Knighthead. It will be world-class and a clear statement of intent. Knighthead has invested in Birmingham and is bringing a level of ambition that is going to improve the fortunes of both the club and the city itself. New thinking and approaches are required for football clubs to grow and compete. Our partnership is an example of this.
He also added, “We look at the football world differently and we know that creating broader awareness and engagement across social and other media platforms will increase our commercial growth opportunities.”