OM rename Vélodrome as CEPAC Vélodrome in timely boost amid financial strain | OneFootball

Olympique de Marseille have secured a new naming rights deal for the Vélodrome with the bank CEPAC, rebranding the stadium as the CEPAC Vélodrome from two July, a rare positive during a fraught financial period.

The agreement arrives as president Stéphane Richard spends June explaining the club’s finances to UEFA and the DNCG. L'Équipe reports that it replaces the 10-year Orange partnership, which ends on one July.

CEPAC, Caisse d'Epargne Provence Alpes Corse, has been a club partner for 40 years and signalled interest early last season, with talks accelerating after Richard’s presentation in April. Shirt sponsor CMA CGM chose to lend its name to Le Havre’s Stade Océane instead, which helped clear the path.

The contract runs for at least seven years and brings in more than the previous deal, estimated at €2.45m a season. Richard has criticised the current domestic TV rights picture, which he says leaves French clubs under strain, and he views sponsorship and naming as vital revenue levers alongside European competition.

With the Vélodrome close to sold out for almost the entire season, he regards the venue as central to growth. Club control of the site allows additional non-sport events and upgrades to services and the visitor experience, areas he wants to intensify.

The DNCG issued a sursis à statuer on Tuesday after hearing Richard. A commitment letter from owner Frank McCourt could unlock matters, and the naming deal offers a welcome signal as OM also work on necessary player sales.

Source: L'Équipe