Sponsorship & Marketing

Apollo takes on Christchurch stadium naming rights, partner sought for Bloomfield Stadium

Images: Oded Karni & Christchurch City Council

Local design and commercial construction company Apollo Projects has secured naming rights to Christchurch’s Orangetheory Stadium, while a first naming rights deal is being sought for Tel Aviv’s Bloomfield Stadium.

Venues Ōtautahi said its new partnership with Apollo will be in place from August 1 until the end of life of Apollo Projects Stadium. Local authorities are currently in the midst of development work on a new 30,000-capacity stadium for the New Zealand city.

Global gym chain Orangetheory acquired naming rights to the 18,000-seat venue back in April 2019. The stadium is home to Super Rugby franchise the Crusaders and Canterbury Rugby. It is also a major concert venue with the next big event being a Foo Fighters concert on January 24. 

“Both Apollo Projects and Venues Ōtautahi are proudly local, take a community-centric approach to how we do business and are aligned in wanting to deliver the best outcomes for a region we are so proud of,” said Venues Ōtautahi chief executive, Caroline Harvie-Teare. 

“Apollo Projects has an outstanding reputation for delivering state-of-the-art projects and is known for its commitment to sustainability. The company’s values align closely with Venues Ōtautahi’s commitment to social and environmental sustainability and taking a role in contributing positively to the social fabric of the region.” 

Apollo Projects director and CEO, Paul Lloyd, added: “At Apollo our purpose is ‘building communities’ and with the sponsorship it will unlock opportunities to enable people that otherwise would not have the means to attend to experience live rugby union.”

Strategic alliance sought for Bloomfield Stadium

Tel Aviv-Yafo Sport Palaces, a municipal corporation owned by the Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality, has issued a tender for primary sponsorship and naming rights to Bloomfield Stadium.

An eight-year contract, with the option to extend for a further eight years, is on offer with rights to the stadium’s name, following ‘Bloomfield’, along with advertising rights at central and televised spots, use of a central skybox, the ability to host events, and other benefits.

Four years ago, the stadium was reopened following substantial investment by the Tel Aviv -Yafo Municipality through a comprehensive renovation and expansion project. This makeover positioned Bloomfield as what its stakeholders claim is the leading stadium in Israel, doubling its number of seats to nearly 30,000. 

Since its reopening, in addition to being the home of Tel Aviv’s three top football clubs, the stadium has hosted Israel national team matches and major concerts.

Maor Binyamini, CEO of Sport Palaces, said: “Selecting a primary sponsor for Bloomfield Stadium is part of our vision to turn Tel Aviv’s large sports facilities into multi-purpose attractions that provide the public with world-class service and experiences. The area’s urban revival and the leverage and enrichment of the stadium’s activities constitute an opportunity for a long-term strategic alliance.”

The bid submission deadline is August 1.