Creative Artists Agency was named ‘Best in Property Consulting, Sales and Client Services’ at the 2014 Sports Business Awards, presented by Sports Business Journal. It comes as no surprise then that Italian Serie A Football Club, AS Roma, has formed a partnership with the agency’s sports division to sell its global naming rights and partnerships for its new stadium and entertainment venue.
“About two months ago, we took a major step forward by announcing our long-awaited plans to build a new stadium and a world class entertainment destination,” said AS Roma President James Pallotta. “(The) announcement of our partnership with CAA Sports, the best in the business, is a significant step in bringing the plans and our vision to life.
“As we start conversations with potential corporate partners, our primary selling point is more than just aligning your company or brands with one of world’s most historic football clubs in AS Roma. It’s about being one of the first stakeholders in a sports and entertainment complex unlike any in the world. And it’s about having a meaningful presence in one of the greatest cities in the world. CAA Sports will be central to telling our story and building our business to audiences and prospects worldwide.”
The 52,500-seat stadium, which is tabbed Stadio della Roma, will host roughly 200 events a year between football matches, concerts, global sporting events, and other forms of entertainment. AS Roma will begin play in the new stadium during the 2016-17 season.
“We have enjoyed a longstanding friendship with Jim Pallotta and his management team, and are thrilled to partner on this incredible opportunity,” said Mike Levine, Co-Head, CAA Sports. “The magnificence and incredible size and scope of this project with the new stadium, fan village, and retail district, as well as the on-field success and off-field popularity of AS Roma, makes this one of the most exciting projects we have ever seen.”
Some of the complex’s features besides the football stadium include a 14,500-seat in-stadium amphitheater, a 4,500-seat outdoor amphitheater, a 900-seat indoor concert venue, and a state-of-the-art football training center.
CAA has been instrumental in negotiating $3 billion in sponsorship and partnership agreements, including the naming rights deal for the San Francisco 49ers with Levi Strauss and Co. Additionally, the agency orchestrated what many call the largest building deal in sports history between Madison Square Garden and JP Morgan Chase.