Spurs hire man behind Miami Dolphins' mega stadium naming rights deal
Tottenham hire the man behind the Miami Dolphins’ mega 18-year, £180m stadium naming-rights deal as their new chief commercial officer, with Daniel Levy still searching for £25m a season sponsorship package for Spurs’ new ground
- Tottenham are still yet to find a naming-rights partner for their brilliant stadium
- Spurs have hired Todd Kline as their chief commercial officer to help with this
- Kline spearheaded an 18-year naming rights deal for the Dolphins stadium with entertainment venue Hard Rock worth a reported £180million
Tottenham Hotspur have hired a commercial chief who landed one of the most lucrative stadium naming-rights deals in the NFL.
The Premier League club – still seeking a sponsor for the Tottenham stadium – have appointed ex-Miami Dolphins executive Todd Kline as chief commercial officer, Sportsmail understands.
In 2016 Kline, who subsequently carried out the same role at the Washington Football Team, spearheaded an 18-year naming rights deal for the Dolphins stadium with entertainment venue Hard Rock worth a reported £180million.
Tottenham have stepped up their naming-rights partner search for their sublime stadium
Spurs have hired ex-Miami Dolphins executive Todd Kline (left) as chief commercial officer
Kline was responsible for the 18-year £180m stadium deal for NFL outfit Miami Dolphins
That figure represented the third largest in the sport at the time it was inked with the Dolphins around the 13th most valuable franchise in the NFL.
Finding a similar agreement for Spurs’ new home, which they moved into last season, is likely to be top of Kline’s to-do list when he crosses the Atlantic to start the role early next month. He will also be charged with overseeing the club’s commercial operation, including corporate partnerships and media rights, as the north London club look to boost their off-field turnover. It is understood that Kline will also seek new partners look to build existing revenue streams.
The new arrival ticks a number of boxes. Tottenham chief Daniel Levy has made no secret of the club’s desire to host a UK NFL franchise at its new home, which includes specially-built NFL-style locker rooms.
Miami’s stadium is sponsored by entertainment venue Hard Rock – a deal in place since 2016
Aside from the Dolphins and Washington, Kline has also worked for Players Inc, the licensing and marketing subsidiary of the NFL’s Players Association. He heads to north London from New York-based talent agency Endeavor (CORR).
As reported last year, Amazon were among the interested parties to take the naming rights at the £1bn, 62,000-capacity stadium. However, amid the backdrop of the pandemic, no deal has been announced. Levy is thought to be looking for an agreement worth around £25m a season.
NFL games at Spurs’ stadium this season were postponed because of the pandemic. Ahead of the Super Bowl, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell announced that the league was still planning to stage four matches in the UK – at Tottenham and Wembley – later this year.
Daniel Levy has made no secret of the Spurs’ desire to host a UK NFL franchise at its new home
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