Featured image credit: Viking FK
Energy and telecoms group Lyse has furthered its backing of Viking FK by acquiring naming rights to the Norwegian Eliteserien football club’s stadium.
Financial services group SpareBank 1 Sør-Norge had held the naming rights to SR-Bank Arena since 2018, but the new five-year contract will see the venue rebranded as Lyse Arena through 2029.
Lyse, which is headquartered in Viking’s home city of Stavanger, has served as the club’s main sponsor for over 30 years.
Astrid Rebekka Norheim, executive vice-president for customer relations and marketing at Lyse, said: “Lyse has become a national group with customers and operations throughout Norway. But this is where we come from.
“That is why we are happy to be able to contribute to the stadium getting a name with local roots. Lyse Arena will be so much more than just a sports stadium. Here you can go to concerts, conferences, experiences and football matches for women, men, the general public, grass roots teams and much more.”
The agreement includes a significant focus on the women’s game, with Lyse holding an option to further extend the contract. Norheim said: “We think Viking’s women’s initiative is very exciting, and it has been crucial for us that the agreement helps to lift the team further towards the Toppserien.
“We are also involved in Jenteløftet, a project for long-term development and growth for girls in grassroots football. Now it’s the girls’ turn.
“At Lyse, we say that we should be more than a company and contribute to the society around us. We believe that Viking is also more than a football club. They are taking on an increasingly greater social responsibility… we hope that the agreement can help strengthen Viking’s work with this, while also giving Lyse good exposure.”
Viking’s CEO, Eirik Bjørnø, added: “The agreement will help us to create even more power and love in Jåttåvågen and at Lyse Arena in the future. It will be a name with a regional anchor and will become an even better meeting place that promotes community, unity, respect and inclusion.
“We are particularly pleased with the support for our women’s initiative, which is an important part of our strategy for the future.”
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