Naming rights: LOSC Lille's stadium renamed "Decathlon Arena - Stade Pierre Mauroy"

Decathlon, a French group that designs, produces and distributes sporting goods, has been awarded the naming rights to the Stade Pierre Mauroy (50,156 capacity) by the European Metropolis of Lille (MEL) for five seasons (2022-2027), announced the French group following a city council meeting on 24/06/2022.

The stadium where LOSC Lille (Ligue 1 Uber Eats) plays will thus take the name "Decathlon Arena - Stade Pierre Mauroy", as part of a renewable agreement estimated at €6m (€1.2m per year). This is the first title sponsor for this stadium, which was inaugurated on 17/08/2012.

The MEL is paying €16m a year to constructor Eiffage under a public-private partnership (PPP) to operate the stadium in Villeneuve-d'Ascq (Nord, FRA), which is also home to Decathlon's headquarters and five of its nine design sites. "As a key player in the economy and employment (5,200 employees) in the metropolitan area, Decathlon is an obvious partner for the MEL," explained the group.

Decathlon has been intensifying its sponsorship strategy since 2021, after signing partnerships with Gaël Monfils (tennis)…