Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy made it perfectly clear back in 2019 that there would be no rush in terms of a stadium naming rights deal as it quite simply had to be the right one. Three-and-a-half years on from Tottenham Hotspur Stadium opening its doors, Spurs' stunning home still does not have a sponsor.
However, that could potentially soon be about to change as The Athletic have reported that Tottenham are in "meaningful talks" with Google over naming rights for their 62,850-capacity stadium. Levy's wait to find the right sponsor could very well be worth the wait if he can indeed strike an agreement with one of the most valuable global brands.
A deal that would really make people sit up and take notice, it would also have a huge financial impact on Tottenham by getting the American multinational technology company on board. After all, Levy did state just over three years ago that Tottenham would only agree on a deal if three key criteria were met.
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"We are only going to do a naming rights deal if we get the right brand, in the right sector, on the right money. If we can’t meet those three criteria, we won’t do it," he explained "At the moment, we haven’t found a company that meets all three criteria. We are not really close to anything on that at the moment."
It's not hard to see why Google would be extremely keen to be involved with Tottenham as their home offers so much more than just Premier League and Champions League football. Sunday saw New York Giants and Green Bay Packers face off in another NFL money-spinner at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with the ground also hosting New Orleans Saints and Minnesota Vikings a week earlier.
The stadium also played host to Guns N' Roses and Lady Gaga concerts for two nights apiece in the summer, days after the rugby league Challenge Cup final took place in N17 for the first time back in May. Last September, Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk clashed in their World Heavyweight title boxing fight, while there is a further rugby union game in the calendar for November and then one coming up in March when Saracens and Harlequins go head-to-head.
There are endless opportunities when it comes to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and that is only going to boost the club going forward. Google themselves have struck a number of sports partnerships in recent years, with one with Tottenham now a possibility.
Striking a multi-year deal with F1 racing team McLaren seven months ago, the trillion-dollar company also have commercial agreements in the United States with the NBA and also MLB. If they are keen on adding to their portfolio with another sponsorship deal in sport, Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and all that comes with it may be a no-brainer for the California-based company.
Now with Todd Kline at the club following his appointment as chief financial officer in March 2021, Tottenham have someone who can help them seal a very lucrative agreement for Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The American has a huge wealth of experience in the industry having spearheaded the Miami Dolphins' £180million 18-year stadium naming rights deal with Hard Rock in 2016, which was the third highest deal in NFL history at the time
Always going to be hard for the club to get the deal they want in wake of the pandemic, Kline discussed Tottenham Hotspur Stadium and finding the right sponsor when speaking at SportsPro Live in late April. Making it clear that patience is going to be key, he stated that he believes they will find the "right partner" for the venue.
"It was really challenging for lots of people who came before me in the environment of not being able to bring people to see and experience the wonder that is that stadium" said Kline, as reported by SportsPro.
“I’ll admit, I’m a stadium geek. I love arenas. I love stadiums. I love clubs. I love seeing them all. And that one is really special. And the reality is that you need people to experience how special it can be. So the world opening up, travel opening up, getting people into the building and really understanding the value that you can provide a brand has been critical.
“We’re running a process. It’s been a rewarding process. We’ve met some amazing people throughout it and I think we’ll land on the right partner for the right venue. And sometimes in doing complicated deals, sometimes patience is the move.”
Amid links with Nike, Amazon, FedEx and Apple to name a few in the past, all at Tottenham will be hoping that Levy and Kline can come to an agreement with Google in their quest to find the ideal brand for their stadium. A key topic ever since the club moved into Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Levy's patience and wait to find the right sponsor may indeed prove to be a financial masterstroke for the football club if Google are to join forces with Tottenham.
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