This is the final stretch of Orange’s commercial partnership for the naming of the Vélodrome, the favorite venue for Olympique de Marseille players. Signed in 2016, the stadium’s title partner contract is for ten years, until the end of next season. If at this stage there is nothing to say that it will be renewed, three years ago, the French telecommunications operator said it was satisfied with the benefits for the brand.
Orange is the title partner of the Vélodrome until 2026
“We were approached by many stadiums and our choice fell on OM and the Vélodrome. It is a link between Africa and Europe which makes sense for our market challenges. The resumption of naming is always complicated, including with the local press, the Vélodrome has an extremely strong identity in Marseille, it remains the historic name of the stadium. When we own events, concerts for example, taking over the name is easier. We have a showroom of more than 600 m² to develop BtoB business”commented one of its representatives in 2021.
OM is not the owner of its favorite stadium
Having remained secret for a long time, the partnership would be financially worth around 2 million euros, according to a Football Benchmark study shared by the media Marca. A few years ago, AFP mentioned the sum of 2.45 million euros gross annually. In football, it is the most expensive title sponsor, but it is almost three times less than that of Groupama Stadium with Olympique Lyonnais. Above all, unlike OL which owns its stadium, it brings nothing to Olympique de Marseille, which is nevertheless the resident club and the one which ensures both attendance and notoriety. It is owned by the city of Marseille, as part of a private-public partnership. OM is only a tenant with an annual income estimated at 8 million euros.
