It has been in a constant football spotlight over recent weeks with international and club competition and now Tallaght Stadium is going to the market to see if there is an appetite for a new naming rights deal.
South Dublin County Council, in conjunction with Core Sponsorship and Tallaght Stadium, has opened a tender process for the naming rights of the stadium, with a closing date of October 13th.
Aside from being home to the Republic of Ireland Women’s and U21 teams and Shamrock Rovers, the stadium has also been approved to host future European competition up to the Champions League and is also being put into a major concert and event space.
The successful tenderer will benefit from a multitude of commercial options including substantial branding opportunities, extensive editorial mentions, TV broadcast and digital media exposure, ticketing and venue rental opportunities.
The adoption of ‘The Aviva’ has shown that Irish audiences and media, while professing a initial reluctance to get on board with new naming rights, are actually pretty amenable to it.
A number of local GAA grounds have added partnership branding in recent years from UPMC Nowlan Park to Chadwick’s Wexford Park and Ireland has fully bought into the international acceptance of stadium naming rights as a visible and important part of the sponsorship mix.
Funded by South Dublin County Council, approximately €11.5 million is currently being invested in the expansion of Tallaght Stadium, which is currently the only municipal stadium of its kind in Ireland.
A new North Stand, which is under construction, will increase the overall capacity to 10,000+ and will further cement its position as a top-class arena which consistently hosts elite sporting events. The sod-turning for the new North Stand took place in June and the facility is due to be completed by July 2023.
The new development will cement Tallaght Stadium’s UEFA Category 4 status, allowing for the hosting of all UEFA competitive fixtures, including Internationals, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and UEFA Europa Conference League games.
As well as the new North Stand, major refurbishment work is also taking place across the West stand corporate areas to provide revamped conference and meeting room facilities, as well as enhanced amenities for media and sporting fixtures.
The delivery of the North Stand at Tallaght Stadium forms part of the current investment of over €80 million by the Council in a range of infrastructure projects underway in Tallaght.
“Today is a landmark day in the development of Tallaght Stadium as we open the tendering process for naming rights,” said th Mayor of South Dublin County, Cllr Emma Murphy.
“This is an exceptional opportunity for businesses looking to be an integral part of a thriving community and also be a significant supporter of sport in Ireland.”
“With the wide range of events to be held at Tallaght Stadium in front of large international and domestic audiences, we’re really looking forward to welcoming a new partner on board to work with us to maximise the most of this new opportunity for all parties.”
“The venue has proved to be an incredible success within South Dublin County and in Tallaght, serving as a unique identifier, source of pride and focus point for the wider community,” added Daniel McLoughlin, Chief Executive of South Dublin County Council.
“The naming rights to the Stadium represents a unique opportunity for a new commercial partner to be right at the heart of a thriving community which will benefit directly with the reinvestment of funds arising in local sporting and community projects.”
The tender process is being assisted by Core Sponsorship who were a key player in the partnership between the FAI and Sky for the Women’s national Team that have been so entwined in Tallaght Stadium.
“This is one of the most interesting naming rights opportunities to enter the market in recent years,” said Intelligence director Noel Martyn.
“Home to Shamrock Rovers, the FAI Women’s National Football team and Men’s Under 21 Team, the stadium engages with a large cohort of the public – both those who attend matches at the venue as well as those who watch broadcasts at home.”
“The naming rights opportunity offers a significant range of assets and benefits, including coverage of the named stadium on broadcast, print and digital channels, stadium signage, exposure on TV broadcasts, venue rental, ticketing and more. We expect there to be significant interest from potential sponsors and are proud to be working in partnership with South Dublin County Council and Tallaght Stadium on this venture.”
South Dublin County Council, Tallaght Stadium and Core Sponsorship are all members of the Sport for Business network and we are happy to share details of the tender process here.
