Morumbi begins to change its name to MorumBis – 02/09/2024 – Sports

Toledo’s Cícero Pompeu stadium, Morumbi, began physically changing its name to MorumBis, as part of the agreement signed with Mondelez. According to São Paulo, the expectation is that the renovation, which involves changing the stadium’s sign and internal structures, will be completed by mid-March.

“Mondelez products are expected to be sold at the stadium on game days, among other actions that will soon be revealed,” the club said in a note sent to Sheet.

The plan is that the partnership will not only allow the sale of the product at the stadium, but also the creation of an environment focused on experiences, with the renaming of some sectors of the stadium, says Alvaro Garcia, vice president of marketing at Mondelez.

The executive adds that the partnership with São Paulo involves a plan that targets not only the team’s fans. He recalls that, although it is the home of the São Paulo tricolor, the partnership also focuses on reaching the public that attends shows held at the stadium and chocolate consumers.

“All planned actions are focused on increasing brand awareness [a divulgação da marca junto ao público] de Bis, one of the brands considered as the company’s focus in the objective of double-digit growth by 2030”, says Garcia.

According to the Mondelez executive, the partnership has synergy with the investment of R$1 billion that the company has been making since last year and will continue this year, aiming to expand production capacity to increase presence in points of sale in the country.

“This partnership means being part of one of the largest sports markets that has large financial movements and we are contributing to stimulating the football economy and its surroundings”, says Garcia.

The agreement lasts three years, with a total contribution of R$75 million to São Paulo by the chocolate manufacturer. The R$ 25 million per year exceeds what the insurance company Allianz pays to Palmeiras for the name of Allianz Parque and what the pharmaceutical company Hypera Pharma pays to Corinthians for the name of Neo Química Arena.

The model is different from that adopted by rivals. The total contribution will be smaller, but over a shorter period. The annual money will be significantly higher.

In the case of Palmeiras, the option was to tear down the old Palestra Itália to build a new stadium, opened as Allianz Parque at the end of 2014. The construction company WTorre carried out the works and, in exchange, took over the operation of the arena until 2044.

The contractor negotiated the “naming rights” with the insurance company Allianz, for R$300 million over a period of 20 years.

It was also for R$300 million over 20 years that Corinthians gave up the name of its stadium, opened in 2013 as Arena Corinthians. In 2020, Hypera Pharma purchased the right to rename the space and called it Neo Química Arena.

The annual installments of R$15 million are adjusted for inflation indices. Corinthians, for example, calculates that it will take more than R$400 million at the end of the contract.

In any case, in the annual entry, the value obtained by São Paulo will be higher. It will be important money for a club working to overcome financial difficulties.

At the end of 2022, according to the club’s balance sheet, the debt was around R$700 million. The numbers for 2023 will still be counted, but, even with a prize of R$88.7 million for winning the Copa do Brasil, the Morumbi club reached the end of the third quarter with a deficit of R$97 million for the year.

Now, the expectation is for some relief. Not just for the agreement with Mondelez but for the sale of players. The board recently agreed to transfer defender Beraldo, 20, to Paris Saint-Germain for 20 million euros (R$106.6 million).