NFL Stadium Naming Rights: What Brands Need to Know

GEHA Field at Arrowhead, Ford Field, Highmark Stadium, M&T Bank Stadium, Lincoln Financial Field. These are the home stadiums of the top 5 National Football League (NFL) teams as we head into the playoffs. Can you name the team associated with each? If you are a fan of any of these teams, are you more likely to buy what the stadium sponsor is selling? If you are a brand sponsor, are stadium naming rights worth the investment?

These are the types of questions we set out to answer in our two most recent Sports Sponsorship Performance Surveys which were designed to uncover the impacts of sports sponsorship on consumer perspectives.

In 2022, we asked survey participants if the stadium’s name influenced their brand perception, and roughly 70% responded “no.” However, when asked about purchase intent, 59% reported being more likely to purchase from sports sponsors that they like (for more, see our blog post, “The Effectiveness of Stadium Naming Rights”).

Our most recent survey reveals an increasingly positive correlation between brand sponsorship and consumer purchase intent, up seven points from 2022 to 66% in 2024. In addition, 66% of NFL fans were also able to correctly identify the stadium sponsor – suggesting that brand recall and awareness are strong for stadium sponsors.

Does this mean these deals are worth the millions of dollars brands spend annually on stadium naming rights? As with most sponsorship investments, the answer is complicated.

The bottom line is that, while there is no simple answer to the question of value, it’s clear that sports sponsorships matter to consumers and there is a direct correlation with purchase intent. And fans of the NFL, the most followed sport in the U.S. (by 77% of consumers surveyed), have some unique characteristics.

Here’s what we know…

The NFL Fanbase: A Broad and Passionate Audience

As stated above, the NFL holds the top spot for consumers who follow sports—ahead of the Olympics (69%), Major League Baseball (MLB at 58%), college football (55%), and the National Basketball Association (NBA at 54%). More fans watch NFL games on TV than any other sport.

Key Fanbase Statistics:

• Diehard Fans: 25% of NFL fans identify as diehard supporters, the highest across major sports (only 14% of NBA and MLB fans identify as “diehard”).
• Games Followed: During the 2023-24 season, fans followed an average of 9.9 games, with diehard fans watching 13.1 games (out of 17 regular season games).
• Social Media Use: NFL fans are more likely than average to obtain sports information from social media:
  • Facebook: 60% vs. 55%
  • YouTube: 59% vs. 54%
  • Instagram: 44% vs. 39%
  • TikTok: 32% vs. 28%
  • X (formerly Twitter): 28% vs. 23%
• Big Sports Fans: NFL fans also display strong enthusiasm for other sports— for example, NFL fans are 12% more likely to follow college football and 9% more likely to follow the NBA.

Connection to Brand Sponsors:

• Purchase Intent: 75% of NFL fans are more likely to purchase from sponsoring companies, compared to 66% of all respondents.
• Recommendation Likelihood: 34% of NFL fans are more likely to recommend sponsoring companies, compared to 28% of all respondents.
• Willingness to Engage: 56% of NFL fans are open to engaging with sponsors at sporting events and are more open to sponsor activations than average respondents.

Kansas City Chiefs: Tops in the League but Perhaps Not the Game of  Sponsorship

The Chiefs are not only the current #1 in the league as we head to the playoffs, but also the favorite team of our survey respondents. Despite their popularity, Chiefs fans exhibit some unique characteristics in their relationship with sponsors and team perception that are noteworthy as we explore the challenges related to brand sponsorship.

By the Numbers

• Stadium Sponsor Awareness â : 62% of Chiefs fans can correctly identify the stadium sponsor, slightly below the league average of 66%.
  • It’s likely many fans know Arrowhead Stadium, but the current stadium sponsor since 2021 is GEHA (and the official stadium name is GEHA Field at Arrowhead) – whereas Gillette Stadium, home to the New England Patriots since 2002, was correctly identified by 83% of New England Patriots fans.
• Diehard Fans: Only 27% of Chiefs fans identify as diehards, below the league average of 38%.
  • • In contrast, 58% of Washington Commanders fans proudly identify themselves as diehard supporters.
• Sponsor Interaction : 28% of Chiefs fans interact with sponsors, slightly above the league average of 26%.
  • However, some teams have considerably higher engagement, such as the Arizona Cardinals, with 56% of fans reporting interactions with sponsors.
• Positive Perception of Sponsors: Only 25% of Chiefs fans have a positive perception of the stadium sponsor, compared to the 36% league average.
  • Compare these numbers to the Atlanta Falcons, with 59% of fans reporting a positive perception of its stadium sponsor, Mercedes-Benz.

Chiefs Fan Sentiment:

When we asked NFL fans about their opinion of different teams and specifically in certain areas, here is how the Chiefs stacked up against the average NFL fan ranking.

• Higher than average in categories like:
  • Overall Opinion of the Team: +12
  • Community Involvement: +4
  • Quality of the Product: +5
  • Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: +12
  • Responsiveness to Fans: +7
• Below average in:
  • Prestige: -2
  • Commitment to the Environment: -5
  • Affordability of Tickets: -5

The recent surge in attention surrounding the Chiefs, partly attributed to Taylor Swift’s influence, also highlights the potential for unexpected cultural crossovers in sports marketing. Swift is widely credited with bringing more female and younger fans to the game, but the most recent Chiefs-specific data is mixed.

Regarding female fans, 61% of Chiefs fans are female, which is 16 percentage points above the NFL average of 45%. However, when it comes to fan age, the Chiefs count only 21% of the coveted 18–34-year-old demographic, whereas NFL fans in general boast 29% of respondents in this age group.

In any case, we can’t really measure the Taylor Swift effect on brand sponsorship – unless she takes a page from Pitbull’s playbook and enters into a stadium naming rights agreement. If that happens, stay tuned for more!

The Business Case for (and against) Stadium Naming Rights

Stadium naming rights offer sponsors a direct line to millions of engaged fans, but potential sponsors need to understand the pros and cons.

Why Naming Rights Work:

• High brand visibility: 66% of NFL fans can correctly identify their home stadium’s sponsor, with recall reaching 76% among diehard fans.
• Positive brand perception: 26% of fans report having a positive view of stadium sponsors, with higher favorability seen in teams like the Falcons and Chargers.
• Increased consumer engagement: NFL fans are more likely than average to buy from (26% vs. 20%) and recommend (34% vs. 28%) sponsoring companies. They are also more likely to advocate for sponsors (33% vs. 28%), and to choose to do business with sponsors (26% vs. 21%).
• Large, engaged audience: The NFL fan base follows an average of nearly 10 games per season and are active on social media, providing frequent exposure opportunities for brand sponsors

Why Brands Should Proceed with Caution

• Inconsistent Awareness: Our Sports Sponsorship Survey data shows that recall varies widely between teams and markets, and awareness of stadium name changes is low.
• Significant Investment with Potentially Uncertain ROI: While fan purchase intent data is encouraging, the numbers also reveal a high degree of indifference. While 26% of fans buy sponsor products and services, 74% report sitting on the sidelines. 

There are other important considerations as well, such as local vs national exposure goals, strength and distinctiveness of the brand, and team performance (for more see “The Effectiveness of Stadium Naming Rights”).

The Bottom Line

Stadium naming rights are a high-stakes investment. They deliver visibility and can spark fan engagement—but only with the right strategy.

Brands seeking to invest in naming rights must carefully assess their marketing objectives, fan demographics, desired ROI, and long-term commitment. Done right, stadium naming rights can create lasting brand equity and loyalty. Done poorly, they risk becoming expensive ventures with little measurable return. As the data reveals, understanding your audience and aligning sponsorship with your brand strategy is key to successful partnerships.

Elevent, North America’s leading provider of sponsorship lifecycle management software, consulting services, and research, can help. Please contact us for more insights into consumer perspectives regarding the impact of sports sponsorship, or to learn more about how we help brands make informed sponsorship decisions and maximize ROI.

Survey Methodology

In its most recent survey, Elevent conducted an online survey of adult Americans (18 years of age and over) with 5,010 surveys completed in Q1 2024. The comprehensive survey included questions on a broad range of topics including sports sponsorship impact, consumer willingness to engage with sports sponsors, a sport-by-sport comparison of consumer perspectives, and more. The results were weighted using Census Bureau data based on age, gender, race, and region of residence of respondents with a margin of error of ±2% (if the sample were based on probability, with a confidence level of 95%).