Snapdragon, the software company that will serve as Manchester United’s shirt sponsor for the next three seasons, is interested in acquiring naming rights to the English Premier League club’s Old Trafford stadium.
The firm, owned by US tech company Qualcomm, is keen to put its name to the existing venue or to a new stadium if one is constructed to replace the club’s iconic home.
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Qualcomm agreed a deal with United in September last year to replace global tech company TeamViewer as its primary shirt sponsor.
The three-year agreement is worth around £176 million ($223.9 million).
The shirt deal expanded a previous partnership between Qualcomm and United, also centered on the Snapdragon brand.
United are considering whether to build a new home or revamp Old Trafford, with a joint task force put in place in March to explore options for building a new stadium.
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By GlobalDataA new venue is favored by Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the minority owner driving the project, and he wants the club to decide by December.
It was first reported by The Athletic in June that United were looking to sell naming rights to Old Trafford or a new stadium.
This would be a significant move for the club, with Old Trafford having been without a title sponsor for the whole of its 114-year history.
In recent years, Qualcomm has been working with the club to improve technology and mobile connectivity levels at Old Trafford.
Now, the tech firm is seeking to strengthen its relationship with United through a potential stadium naming rights deal.
Don McGuire, Snapdragon’s chief marketing officer, said: “Old Trafford is Old Trafford, it should always be Old Trafford [or whatever any new stadium name is]. But if there is a brand attached to that in some way shape or form, powered by someone, an ‘at’ or whatever [it could happen]. For example, this is Snapdragon Stadium at Bashor Field.
“We are working very closely with the team on the reimagination of Old Trafford from a technology and innovation standpoint. And Carrington [the training base]. So if that leads to something bigger, where it would make sense for us to go even bigger – this [shirt sponsorship] is pretty big by the way, not inexpensive – we are always looking out for opportunities.”
Snapdragon already holds the naming rights to the stadium in San Diego, US, where United played Real Betis in a pre-season friendly this month and Wrexham last year.
If the club decides to bring a naming rights partner on board, it would join Premier League rivals such as Manchester City (Etihad Stadium) and Arsenal (Emirates Stadium) in doing so.
Multiple other sports venues in the UK and Europe, meanwhile, have associated naming partners – Wembley Stadium, connected by EE, for example, as well as the Spotify Camp Nou in Barcelona, and Bayern Munich’s Allianz Arena in Germany.
