Sapporo Dome, a multi-purpose stadium operated by a semi-public entity affiliated with Sapporo city, is seeking to recoup financial losses by selling naming rights for the facility. The move comes after the relocation of the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters baseball team, which resulted in a significant loss of revenue for the stadium operator.
Sapporo Dome Co. announced that the winning bidder will be granted the right to use a nickname of their choice for a period of two to four years. Applications are open to companies both within Hokkaido and across Japan until February 29.
Ideally, the stadium operator aims to secure annual usage fees of at least 250 million yen ($1.7 million). However, they are willing to consider bids with more affordable prices from enterprises that demonstrate a genuine interest in the partnership. If the process proceeds as planned, the winning bidder will be able to rename Sapporo Dome from as early as April.
In 2011, Sapporo city had previously attempted to find a sponsor for naming rights but the effort was unsuccessful. The stadium operator expects to incur a net loss of 294 million yen in the fiscal year 2023 due to the loss of revenue from hosting the Fighters' games.
In an effort to diversify its revenue streams, Sapporo Dome Co. introduced a new mode last April that allows the stadium to host middle-scale concerts by separating the arena from the spectators' seats using black curtains. However, this new mode has only been utilized on two days since its inception. Consequently, the naming rights program is anticipated to provide a much-needed new source of income for the stadium operator.