São Paulo FC’s Estádio Cícero Pompeu de Toledo, widely known as Morumbi, has been renamed to MorumBis following a three-year naming rights contract with Mondelez International.
The company, which produces confectionary products including Bis chocolate, aims to position its brand closer to consumers through the deal which is rumoured to be worth BRL 75m (£12m/$15m/€14m) in total, although an exact figure has not been confirmed.
It is the first time that the stadium, which opened in October 1960, has had its name changed.
“We are very happy with the arrival of Mondelez Brasil at our home, which will now become MorumBis,” said São Paulo FC’s executive director of marketing Eduardo Toni on LinkedIn.
“São Paulo is a strong and global brand, as is our new partner. Morumbi is a vibrant and at the same time traditional stadium, just like Bis.
“The combination of these two powers is a perfect marriage.”
Mondelez aims to end 2024 with a 20% growth in market share for Bis and to double the product’s production by 2030.
The company is said to consider the stadium as “an iconic and traditional location in the city” which “reinforces the project’s credentials of irreverence, lightness and fun”.
Morumbi used to have a capacity of 150,000 seats but the Brazilian Football Confederation reduced the figure over the years to its current total of 66,795 due to maintenance costs.
“It is an immense joy to make this announcement which, for us, makes perfect sense,” said Alvaro Garcia, vice-president of marketing at Mondelez Brasil.
“Do you know all the moments in our lives that call for an encore? Those that we want to repeat and leave us wanting more? This is what MorumBis will be like. Another song, another show, another goal, more of the fans singing along.”
As well as serving as the home stadium for Campeonato Brasileiro Série A side São Paulo, the venue has staged Brazilian national team games, concerts from U2, Queen, Sir Paul McCartney and more, and a visit from Pope John Paul II.
