Villa's search for revenue

It was in early 2024 that The Athletic was told of Aston Villa’s desire to pursue stadium naming rights. Chris Heck, the club’s president of business operations at the time, led discussions among staff to find a lucrative, big-brand sponsorship to rename Villa Park.

Many clubs have raised significant revenue this way, including Arsenal with the Emirates Stadium, Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium or, further away, Barcelona’s Spotify Camp Nou. Heck and his team cast the net far and wide, discussing worldwide brands, but a suitable partner has not been found.

Stadium naming rights would, undoubtedly, have the greatest commercial impact, far exceeding any additional money brought in through the hike in ticket prices at the start of the 2024-25 campaign or the upcoming season’s rise of five per cent.

Would supporters sacrifice tradition and be prepared to change Villa Park’s name in exchange for PSR to be less of a yearly issue?

Manager Unai Emery has driven Villa’s on-pitch success, making him the club’s key revenue driver. Villa’s fourth-place finish in the 2023-24 season generated £162.4m in Premier League prize money and reaching the quarter-finals of the Champions League in 2024-25 amassed more than £70m. This ensured Villa topped £300m in income for the first time.

Qualifying for Europe’s elite competition allowed Villa to be more ambitious during commercial negotiations. Sources who shared existing knowledge of recent deals, speaking on condition of anonymity to protect relationships, told The Athletic that last season’s agreements included ‘kickers’. This means the club receives additional revenue every time they qualify for the Champions League, unlocking extra sponsorship money.

Villa aspire to compete with Europe’s biggest clubs but are yet to tap into the commercial markets they benefit from. They remain without a sponsor for their training kit and training ground, Bodymoor Heath.

Supporters widely accept that Villa Park, though retaining its history, must be redeveloped. There were 30,000 people on the season ticket waiting list in 2023 and the stadium’s capacity of 42,000 is no longer suitable to match demand. There is also natural decay in parts of the ground, such as the turnstiles and concourses. There is an understanding that certain areas of Villa Park are too small and sometimes difficult to steward.

The club announced they would restart plans to build a 50,000-seater stadium in time for Euro 2028, a tournament where Villa Park will host matches. Villa and the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) face logistical and financial issues but should the proposal be put into action, gate receipts will considerably boost revenue.

Villa are far removed from the traditional ‘Big Six’ for matchday revenue and, more gallingly, trail West Ham United — which boasts a ground that holds 20,000 more spectators — and Newcastle United, who have 10,000 more seats, by £16.6m and £22.1m respectively.

A redeveloped and expanded Villa Park may be celebrated with new naming rights. But preserving Villa’s traditions will surely be of equal, if not more, importance.

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