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Will Colahan's avatar

Thanks for your comment! Definitely agree that sports are becoming a genuine asset class for investment.

dDeportes Upper Deck's avatar

Love this article!

Living momentarily in the USA, but Born in Spain, I have experienced the different approaches that clubs or franchises have towards their venues.

In Spain we are still fighting for keeping the names of the stadiums as honouring that people, in most of the cases former players or influencial people in the development of the City of the team itself. If an American comes and sees this, would Think that there is no debate, naming comes with money so lets call it whatever the Company wants it to call it.

I am in between: never forget who made you big, but always say welcome to opportunities.

The name of the stadium is Just an example of this, but there are many others.

Roots are everything, as long as they let you keep growing.

Will Colahan's avatar

Thanks so much! I agree that stadium names are such an important part that they often get monetised very quickly.

dDeportes Upper Deck's avatar

I read before that the Indian cricket League is the most profitable Market right now, considering the money invested and the money obtained from it. Which League do you Think is the most profitable one in the US?

Will Colahan's avatar

The NFL by quite a wide margin!

OffPitch Alpha's avatar

Super interesting piece. New stadiums are being strategically built to become a new source of revenues, way beyond the football itself. I’d like to hear about how the renovation of the new Spotify Camp Nou and the whole Espai Barça would fit into these models!

Will Colahan's avatar

Thanks so much! The Barca renovation will probably fit in between the River Plate and Tottenham models.

Mohammad Tarmizzy's avatar

Insightful. Football modernity redefined. And over in Asia, JDT are moving proper sharp.

For those not familiar, Johor Darul Ta'zim FC are the current Malaysian league champions, basically running the game and building properly around it.

What stands out is how the stadium’s set up. Not just matchday. Retail, fan spaces, everything’s built in. Feels like it runs daily, not just when the lights are on.

Carla Bilche's avatar

Spot on! Moving away from the “matchday only” model to a daily experience is the ultimate game-changer for a club's revenue. Thanks for the insight!

Life of a phoenix's avatar

As you say stadiums are becoming an asset, so I guess it could be safe to say that sports are an asset. Spurs stadium blew my mind when I first saw it in 2019. As an non-extreme football fan as I was actually drawn to attend matches there because the venue was inviting. The other interesting stadium/project to watch now is definitely the Morocco one, as the country is heavily pushing to place themselves the major football tournaments.

The Half Space Journal's avatar

Really enjoyed this! Keep them coming!!

Will Colahan's avatar

Thanks so much!

Dominic Butler's avatar

Love this article! It really gets to the heart of the 'identity vs. infrastructure' debate we’re seeing everywhere right now.

Will and Carla, your breakdown of the 'Messi Clock' for Inter Miami is especially timely with the Nu Stadium opener just days away on April 4th. It’s a fascinating look at how a club tries to turn a fleeting moment of global stardom into a permanent home. I’m with the sentiment that roots are everything, as long as they let you keep growing, and this piece shows exactly how difficult that balancing act is getting. Great read and collaboration!

Carla Bilche's avatar

Thank you for the kind words! I completely agree that the experiment is valid. We'll just have to wait and see how it plays out.

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Mar 28
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Carla Bilche's avatar

That's an interesting point! I guess we'll have to wait and see.