MLS’ Orlando City SC and NWSL’s Orlando Pride will have a new name on their home venue when their seasons kick off in February (MLS) and March (NWSL). Brazilian-based digital financial service firm Inter&Co is the new stadium naming rights partner, replacing Exploria Resorts.
It is a 10-year deal for the stadium, which opened in 2017. The team would not comment on financial terms, but recent MLS stadium rights agreements have ranged from $3 million to $6 million per year. A year ago, LAFC set a new standard with a deal worth $10 million annually on average.
“They know international soccer,” Jarrod Dillon, president of business operations for the teams, said in a phone interview about his new partner. “It is one of the things that got us excited, as not just a traditional naming rights partnership, but how this helps our soccer side as well.”
Exploria and Orlando City had a mutual option on their naming rights agreement that began in June 2019. With Inter&Co on board, Exploria will remain as a sponsor of both Orlando City and Orlando Pride.
Dillon says the new partnership will back improvements at the stadium that will enhance the fan experience this year. They include a new video board, 250 TVs in the premium areas and lower concourse, improved Wi-Fi and a new hospitality section, The Terrace. Inter&Co will also organize financial literacy programs as part of the agreement.
The $155 million stadium opened in 2017 and was privately funded by the teams’ previous owner, Flavio Augusto da Silva. The Wilf family, who own the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings, bought the clubs in 2021 for roughly $400 million.
Inter&Co, which has more than 30 million users of its app, became a sponsor of MLS’ New York City FC in 2022 and the two Orlando teams last year. It has a long history of supporting soccer in Brazil, including partnerships with Serie A’s Atlético Mineiro, Athletico and Fortaleza. Dillon said the plan is to take Orlando’s teams to Brazil to train and for friendlies.
Inter&Co is the Orlando teams’ first international marketing partner, allowing them to market themselves and grow their brands in Brazil. The MLS and NWSL global marketing programs are similar to the international team initiatives introduced in the NBA and NFL. The Orlando Pride includes five players from the Brazilian national women’s team, and they are captained by Marta, six-time Women’s World Player of the Year and the all-time leader in World Cup goals.
“This is a breakthrough moment for our company as we expand our presence in the United States,” João Vitor Menin, Inter&Co CEO, said in a statement announcing the deal. “It will allow us to connect with Orlando’s young and diverse population, including a vibrant Latino community, through our shared love for soccer.”
Most stadium name changes elicit some level of negative reactions from fans. This one is no different. As news of a potential deal leaked, fans launched a Change.org petition to stop the stadium re-brand. It says the deal is an “affront to us as supporters” and “unheard of for a stadium to be named after a rival team.”
“I think with the way this is going to help us grow and be more competitive, fans will see the bigger picture,” Dillon said. “Some people may see Inter&Co and associate that with our rivals down south, but that’s a really small part consideration for a massive partnership that financially and soccer-wise and community-wise is really going to benefit our clubs for years to come.”