West Ham have three rivals in the Premier League for a huge commercial deal that could transform the club’s finances.
The Hammers’ commercial operation is one of the strongest in England outside the so-called ‘Big Six’.
They earned £48m from sponsorship and merchandise sales last term, with the biggest individual divers being the front-of-shirt partnership with Betway and kit deal with Umbro.
However, one particular commercial deal, which has the potential to be the most lucrative of the lot, has evaded them.
Vice-chairman Karren Brady, who was recently in the Middle East courting fresh investment in the club, spoke about the possibility of a naming rights deal when the Irons moved to the London Stadium in 2016.
But a turbulent relationship with the stadium’s landlords, who are ultimately responsible for sourcing a deal and would take over 50 per cent of the proceeds, has meant it has so far not been possible.
However, the departure of a number of key figures from the landlord company, LLDC, could open the door for West Ham to lobby for a naming rights deal once again.
But, in light of recent news, they might face competition in terms of securing a blockbuster deal.
Man United latest rival for West Ham in naming rights hunt
As reported by The Athletic, new Man United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe is holding talks regarding the possibility of a naming rights deal for a revamped Old Trafford.
Ratcliffe is planning to either significantly upgrade or rebuild the 75,000-seater stadium entirely in a bid to boost the club’s long-term business operation.
As one of the most famous stadiums in the world which hosts perhaps the biggest brand in football, an Old Trafford naming rights deal would be hugely attractive to many sponsors.
As finance expert and former Man City adviser Stefan Borson has pointed out on X, that could be bad news for the wider naming rights market.
By extension, that would likely impact the sum West Ham could hope to get for the London Stadium rights.
Significantly, Borson highlights that Everton and Tottenham are also looking for naming rights deals too, which further exacerbates the issue for West Ham.
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How much could West Ham earn from naming rights deal?
The amount that West Ham could bank for a naming rights deal is subjective and would ultimately depend on the structure and scope of a would-be agreement.
Allianz have previously been linked with a branding deal, which shows that blue-chip brands do have a level of interest in the former Olympic Stadium.
Most analysts agree that a deal could be worth perhaps £100m in total over the first 10 years of the agreement.
However, if West Ham decided to incorporate another element of their sponsorship repository, it could conceivably bump that figure up to £120m.
For example, Betway, who will no longer sponsor West Ham’s shirts from 2026-27 because of new anti-gambling regulations, could become sleeve sponsor and combine that deal with the naming rights.