Why Russell isn’t against major stadiums like the MCG sharing naming rights with sponsors

Dwayne Russell thinks that major stadiums and governments in Australia should be more open to sharing naming rights of venues with sponsors.

While many venues in Australia are named after sponsors, such as Marvel Stadium, Optus Stadium and Suncorp Stadium among others, several grounds with traditional names have never added a sponsor to their name.

Although Russell thinks that there’s a philosophical objection in Australia around putting a sponsor name next to a stadium like the MCG, SCG, Adelaide Oval or the Gabba, he thinks that it might be the best way to provide much-needed funding for stadium builds and upgrades.

He used the example of Hobart’s Macquarie Point Stadium which is yet to be built and Brisbane’s ongoing issues with their 2032 Olympics stadia as proof that it’s only getting more difficult for governments to invest in stadium infrastructure.

“The Tassie AFL stadium proves it is harder than ever for sports or for governments to justify spending taxpayer money on stadiums, it’s harder than ever for governments to do that,” Russell told SEN Afternoons.

“Right now, the Tasmanian Government and the issue with getting that stadium up and running is proving that.

“The Queensland government have now got the Olympics coming up, but at the moment, they don’t want to build a new stadium - they can’t afford to do that and don’t want to use taxpayer money for that. They don’t yet know if they want to spend the money updating the Gabba either.

“There is a philosophical objection that seems to be deep-seated in our history to having a major stadium named after a sponsor.

“But how else are we going to get it done in the future? A few people might be upset if it was the ‘Kia MCG’ or the ‘Kia SCG’.

“But no one really cares that the stadium in Perth is Optus Stadium. Would you care if the Gabba became, let’s say, the ‘Tyrepower Gabba’?”

Russell thinks that the Gabba in particular should look at bringing private funding in via a naming rights sponsor as he feels that the venue is in need of a redevelopment that may not happen with taxpayer money alone.

“It wouldn't bother me at all if that was the difference maker to get private funding in and to make it more viable for the government to upgrade the Gabba or build a new stadium,” Russell said.

“Let's face it, at the moment, the Gabba is going to be about the seventh-best stadium in Australia.

“The MCG is number one, always has been and probably always will be. I think the Adelaide Oval redevelopment has made that number two, the SCG is probably number three, Optus Stadium in Perth is beautiful, it’s probably number four.

“Marvel Stadium from a viewing experience is number five and if Tassie gets built in a couple of years that’ll be in the top six.

“The Gabba needs a redevelopment, it needs something done. Otherwise, where is it going to end up?”