Ford Motor Company has renewed its sponsorship of the Detroit Lions’ home stadium, which will continue to be known as Ford Field until 2036.
Ford has sponsored the stadium since it opened in 2002 and its deal with the Lions is the second longest running naming-rights partnership in the NFL, behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ deal with Raymond James Financial.
Ford Field hosted the Super Bowl in 2006 and staged the NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four in 2009, followed by the NCAA Frozen Four in 2010. The stadium will host the NCAA Men’s Final Four again in 2027.
Financial terms of the new agreement were not disclosed. Ford initially paid $40m (£31m/€37m) for the naming rights as part of a 20-year deal.
The 65,000-capacity stadium has also hosted concerts from the likes of Taylor Swift, The Rolling Stones and Kenny Chesney, with the latter breaking the concert attendance record at the venue in 2023 when 560,000 people turned out across 12 shows.
Upcoming artists set to perform at the stadium include Post Malone, AC/DC, The Weeknd, Kendrick Lamar featuring SZA, Chris Brown, Billy Joel and Stevie Nicks.
Rod Wood, president and chief executive of the Lions, said: “Renewing our relationship with Ford Motor Company has always been a top priority for us. Ford was an integral partner in our move back to downtown Detroit in 2002 and continues to be valuable to the growth of our brand. We are proud to have an iconic, Detroit-founded company’s name on our building for the foreseeable future.”
Jim Farley, Ford president and chief executive, added: “Ford and the Lions are perfect partners – two iconic organisations that are both deeply rooted in Detroit. Ever since Bill Ford spearheaded bringing Ford Field downtown, this stadium has helped drive Detroit’s comeback and hosted some of the biggest events in sports and entertainment.
“And just like our hometown, our Ford and Lions teams are defined by hard work and grit. So, we couldn’t be prouder to have the Lions and their fans keep calling their home ‘Ford Field’.”
