Finance expert details multi-million West Ham-Karren Brady talks with LLDC
Football finance expert Kieran Maguire has detailed Karren Brady’s talks with LLDC over West Ham United’s naming rights for the London Stadium.
LLDC, who are landlords of the stadium, have offered the club a £4million deal to buy the naming rights for the ground.
However, Maguire has suggested Brady is potentially looking to combine the naming rights with a new front-of-shirt sponsor for the Hammers.
“I think this is a much broader issue than West Ham itself and this is all to do with the naming rights for the London Stadium,” said Maguire (Price of Football Podcast, 50m 33s, 11 January).
“LLDC (landlords of London Stadium) have gone to Karren Brady and said for £4million we will let you sell the naming rights for the stadium and you can keep the profits. Brady is suggesting they’ve been there for a few seasons and it’s now worth £4million.
“I think Brady would like to be in a position where she can go to a potential sponsor and offer front of shirt and stadium naming rights. West Ham are currently paying around £3.5million in rent to the landlord but the running costs are £17million so you can see why LLDC are trying to get some money back.”
Revenue
Although many fans resented the move to the London Stadium initially, it has been a smart move from the board to push the club to the next level financially. The Hammers are among the richest clubs in the Premier League and that has been largely down to the increased revenue which has been generated from the new stadium.
Brady has proven herself to be an astute businesswoman for a number of years and it would not be a surprise to see the club land a lucrative deal when it comes to naming the London Stadium. A new name which is better suited to West Ham would certainly be welcomed by fans.
Considering the success off the pitch at the moment, it’s absolutely essential for the club to maintain its Premier League status. The 2022/23 season has been tough for David Moyes’ side and the board will be hoping for the Scot to turn around West Ham’s fortunes in the second half of the campaign.