• Loading stock data...
Sunday, October 19, 2025

MLS Team to Play in ‘Sports Illustrated Stadium’ in $100M Naming Deal

The New York Red Bulls announced a naming rights deal with a sister company of the magazine.

Nov 3, 2024; Harrison, New Jersey, USA; New York Red Bulls midfielder Lewis Morgan (9) heads a ball during the first half against the Columbus Crew in a 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs Round One match at Red Bull Arena.
Tom Horak-Imagn Images

The New York Red Bulls announced a 13-year stadium naming-rights agreement with Sports Illustrated Tickets on Wednesday.

The 25,000-person Red Bull Arena in Harrison, N.J., just outside of New York City, is now called Sports Illustrated Stadium. Despite sharing a name, the partnership isn’t a deal with the famous sports magazine. The deal is worth more than $100 million, according to Sportico.

Sports Illustrated Tickets is a secondary ticket marketplace launched in June 2021 that the magazine’s licensing company, Authentic Brands Group, allows to use the media outlet’s name. Sports Illustrated was embroiled in controversy earlier this year as its publisher, The Arena Group, missed a large payment to ABG and laid off most of the outlet’s staff. Later in the spring, ABG struck a deal with Minute Media to publish the magazine and website, and the company hired back most of the editorial team.

The Red Bulls lost in the MLS Cup championship Sunday to the LA Galaxy. The new naming rights agreement, which Authentic helped broker, will begin next season.

Sports Illustrated Tickets will also become the official ticket partner starting in 2026 for all events in the stadium, which is also the home venue for the 2023 NWSL champion Gotham FC. Leaning even further into the SI branding, the ticketing company plans to allow fans to digitally put themselves on the SI cover at all events at the stadium, and make a premium suite called Club SI. It won’t be the first “Club SI,” though—it had one at the Kentucky Derby this May.

Representatives for the SI union did not immediately return requests for comment. This is the first stadium naming deal for SI, and because the media outlet and ticketing company don’t interact, it’s not supposed to have any impact on SI’s coverage of MLS.

Red Bull Arena opened in 2008, and it reached perhaps its most high-profile moment when it hosted Lionel Messi’s regular-season MLS debut in August 2023. Red Bulls president and GM Marc de Grandpré told Front Office Sports at the time that the match was expected to bring two to three times the revenue of a normal game, and called it the “largest-ever MLS gate since we’ve been at Red Bull Arena.”

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

[Subscription Customers Only] Jun 19, 2025; Pasadena, California, USA; Botafogo owner John Textor before the match during a group stage match of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup at Rose Bowl Stadium.

John Textor Loses Bid to End $97M Suit Tied to Failed Soccer..

Textor told FOS he intends to appeal; Iconic Sports intends to collect.
Hansi Flick

Barcelona Players, Coach ‘Not Happy’ About Miami Game

La Liga is on the verge of relocating a December match.
FBI

Former Everton Bidder Indicted for $500 Million Fraud Scheme

777 Partners failed to complete its purchase of Everton in 2023.
Donald Trump

FIFA Backs Down, Suggests Trump Could Move World Cup Games

Trump has threatened to remove games from Seattle, San Francisco, and Boston.

Featured Today

@chef__tezz/Instagram

Inside the NFL’s Private Chef Network

Private chefs are the unsung architects of player performance, balancing science, taste, and the demands of professional football.
October 18, 2025

How Vanderbilt Went From SEC Doormat to Dark Horse CFP Candidate

After beating LSU, Clark Lea said: “Internally, we expect to win.”
May 27, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Pacers guard T.J. McConnell (9) shoots a three point basket over New York Knicks guard Josh Hart (3) during the third quarter of game four of the eastern conference finals for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at Gainbridge Fieldhouse
October 18, 2025

NBA Stars Swap Wine With League Friends and Foes

A wine-exchange tradition emerged from the bubble season’s close quarters.
May 25, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Derek Jeter walks the red carpet on Sunday, May 25, 2025, ahead of the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway
October 16, 2025

The Players’ Tribune Is Still Kicking 11 Years Later

Founder Derek Jeter is still closely involved in the publication.

Steelers’ Shared Stadium With Pitt Comes Under Fire for Bad Turf

The conditions at Acrisure Stadium have been subpar this season.
October 13, 2025

Browns, Cleveland Reach $100M Deal to Clear Team’s Move to Suburbs

The surprise truce includes financial payments and the dismissal of lawsuits.
October 15, 2025

Bears Hit Another Speed Bump for New $5B Stadium in Suburbs

A new state bill would impose several conditions on the NFL team.
Sponsored

How Jenny Just Is Shaping the Future of Sports Ownership

Jenny Just on bringing her investment experience to sports ownership.
Nov 17, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Detailed view of a Cleveland Browns helmet on a time out against the New Orleans Saints during the first half at Caesars Superdome.
October 7, 2025

Cleveland Takes New Shot at Blocking Browns’ $2.4B Stadium

A new lawsuit challenges a permit for the NFL team’s planned stadium.
October 7, 2025

Rays Owner Eyes New ‘Forever Home’ Like Atlanta’s Battery

The club’s new owners target a new ballpark opening in 2029.
Sep 23, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Dallas Stars forward Adam Erne (76) looks on during the game between the Dallas Stars and the Minnesota Wild at American Airlines Center
exclusive
October 3, 2025

Dallas Stars Eyeing Possible Move to Plano in 2031

The team needs to figure out where they’ll play starting in 2031.
Chicago Bears stadium rendering
October 1, 2025

Bears Want $855M in Public Money for Suburban Stadium

The NFL team details an updated ask for public money.