The Chicago Fire have opened themselves up to ridicule after announcing that their new $750 million stadium will be named after fast food giant McDonald’s.
The new 22,000-seater arena, due to open for business in 2028, is located on the riverfront in the city’s South Loop, and until now had remained nameless.
On Wednesday, though, the team announced a huge new partnership that will see the stadium called McDonald’s Park, marking the fast food company’s first ever naming-rights deal in professional sports.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, the news caused a huge reaction online, with plenty of fans disappointed by the decision.
‘This will put the league back 20 years,’ one wrote. ‘[Like] when Graham Zusi scored that banger that went viral and all people noticed was that he did it at Pizza Hut Park.’
Another added, ‘And this is why everyone dislikes American sports,’ while a third said: ‘This isn’t helping the whole “burger league” thing.’
The Chicago Fire has released renderings of its new ‘McDonald’s Park’ stadium, open in 2028
The arena, which will also hold concerts, is being built on the waterfront in the South Loop
Others were more positive, with one joking: ‘The pregame McGriddles are going to hit hard.’
The finances behind the deal have not yet been revealed, but it will certainly help the MLS team recoup some of the funds used to build their new state-of-the-art stadium, which will also hold concerts and other events.
In a statement, Fire owner and chairman Joe Mansueto said: ‘As we take the next step on our journey to build a world class club, our commitment to Chicago is at the center of everything we do.
‘That’s why McDonald’s is the perfect partner – an iconic global brand with deep Chicago roots and shared values in supporting our community. McDonald’s Park will be the stadium that Chicago deserves.’
The stadium build has been privately funded and is estimated to have cost in the region of $750m.
It has also been confirmed that there will be a permanent McDonald’s restaurant inside the stadium, following the naming rights deal.
McDonald’s Park will include – you guessed it – a McDonald’s restaurant inside the stadium
The team is currently playing its matches at Soldier Field, home to the NFL’s Chicago Bears
There are further elements to the McDonald’s deal, too, with the fast food giant also becoming the presenting partner of the Chicago Fire’s ‘P.L.A.Y.S. Program’, a soccer-based education program in 70 public schools around the city.
‘Together, we are creating more than a stadium,’ McDonald’s chairman and CEO Chris Kempczinski said. ‘We are building a place that serves up joy, brings together community, delivers impact, and is designed to serve generations to come.’
The Fire’s stadium is one of many new arenas being built around MLS, with Inter Miami recently opening the doors to its ‘Nu Stadium’.
In 2027, New York City FC will cut the ribbon on its $780m Etihad Park in Queens, while FC Dallas is pumping $182m into a huge renovation of its Toyota Stadium.
