Chilean Primera División football club Universidad Católica (UC) has agreed a naming rights deal with telecommunications company Claro to aid the transformation plan for its Estadio San Carlos de Apoquindo.
The Chilean division of Claro has signed a 20-year contract, worth UF965,000 (£28.38m/€34.06m/$38.57m) according to local newspaper La Tercera. In what UC claims is an unprecedented agreement in the Chilean sports marketing sphere, the two parties will work in the coming weeks to define Claro’s role in the venture.
Juan Tagle, president of Universidad Católica, said: “This agreement with a company as important as Claro is a very important step for the realisation of our new stadium.
“We are sure that we will have a very profitable relationship and that it will allow us to continue growing as an institution with a multi-purpose venue that contributes to the development of sporting, cultural and corporate events of the highest level in Chile.”
Felipe Gómez, director of marketing and development at Claro Chile, added: “We are confident that this venue will become the main setting for the development of sports and cultural activities in the country. We feel very proud to be part of this project.”
UC said the Claro deal enables it to fully focus on other key aspects of the project, such as obtaining financing and the selection of a construction partner. At the beginning of March, a press conference will be held to provide further details of the agreement.
In September 2020, UC launched a consultation process for the expansion of its Estadio San Carlos de Apoquindo. The Santiago-based club is considered to be one of Chilean football’s ‘Big Three’ and is seeking to redevelop its stadium, which opened in 1988, from a capacity of 14,000 to 20,000.
Spanish firm IDOM has been engaged to design the new-look stadium, which once redeveloped will include a new roof and more corporate boxes and VIP areas in an effort to create a modern, multi-purpose venue. The project is targeted for completion in the third quarter of 2023.
Image: IDOM
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