More and more of the nation’s sporting arenas are being rebranded as part of lucrative ‘naming rights’ deals but now ordinary home owners can get in on the act too.
TalkTalk, the phone and broadband company, wants to pay people in order to secure the naming rights to their homes.
Under the scheme homeowners receive £250 in sponsorship and in return are obliged to incorporate the TalkTalk brand into the formal address of their dwelling for one year.
Elaine and Darren Snow from South Croydon are the first homeowners to take up the offer. Their detached house in Sanderstead, South Croydon is, from today, to be called TalkTalk Towers.
Last month a furore was caused when it was suggested that Lord’s, one of the most revered arenas in world sport, may carry the name of brand to help fund a £400m redevelopment.
“If the great sporting and cultural arenas of the nation can be renamed then why not individual homes?” said Mark Schmid of TalkTalk. “We aim to have 50 deals completed by the end of the year across the country and to do more next year.”
Naming rights can be quite a money spinner. The New York Mets baseball team and New Jersey Nets Basketball side currently claim the most valuable naming rights contracts in the world. Both secured 20 year deals worth £240m; the Mets with Citigroup; the Nets with Barclays.
Liverpool FC is looking for a naming rights deal to fund the proposed move to a new stadium. The biggest naming rights deal to day in the UK is The Emirates Stadium which is said to be part of a deal worth £100 million to Arsenal.
The most controversial naming rights deal was announced earlier this year when Mike Ashley, owner of Newcastle Utd, rebranded the team’s home ground sportingdirect.com@St James Park.
“We are not averse to major sponsorships,” said Mark Schmid. “After all, we sponsored X Factor this year, but we were keen to develop a different type of sponsorship vehicle which really conveys what we’re all about – great value services for the home.”
“Everyone says your house is your biggest asset so it makes sense to make the most of it,” said Elaine Snow, who is a 33 year old teaching assistant. “I don’t think I will be embarrassed giving out my address. You could say it will be a real talktalking point.”
People interested in selling the naming rights to their homes should contact namingrights@talktalkgroup.com. Homes can be rebranded in the following ways:
- TalkTalk Towers
- TalkTalk Mansions
- TalkTalk@ (eg TalkTalk@37 Acacia Avenue)
- The TalkTalk House
- The TalkTalk Home