This second installment in our major assets report series examines one of the fastest-advancing frontiers in sports sponsorship: practice facility naming rights (PFNR). Across six major U.S. pro leagues (excluding MLB due to the unique dynamics of spring training ownership and rights structures), PFNR deals now attract more than $300 million in annual brand investment, or roughly 9% of the total spend on major assets, including venue naming rights, practice facilities, gates, clubs/suites, and jersey patches.

Hospitals make up 70% of all healthcare naming-rights deals and contribute over 80% of the top-ranking category’s total investment. Practice facilities provide hospital systems with an authentic platform to link their brand to care, community, and high performance. Financial institutions like PNC Bank, BMO, and Fifth Third Bank use naming rights to deepen community roots and reinforce trust by aligning with the daily grind of teams they serve. Tech brands such as Oracle, IBM, SAP, and Salesforce are leveraging these assets to showcase innovation—embedding their platforms into training, analytics, and performance systems. Despite auto ranking among top sponsorship industry spenders, only Toyota and Ford invest in PFNRs—revealing untapped opportunity. The automakers activate locally, linking performance and mobility with community initiatives that keep facilities active year-round and build hometown loyalty.

As the practice facility market matures and unsold inventory tightens, deal values could rise sharply—especially as new categories compete for naming rights. With ~$100M in open annual potential and record deals like Etihad’s $11M benchmark, expect top-tier facilities to reach or exceed $20M annually by 2030, driven by tech and finance entrants seeking year-round visibility.