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Possible sponsors for new Washington Football Team stadium

By Ken Johannesen

LANDOVER, MD - OCTOBER 25: A general view of the stadium after the game between the Washington Football Team and the Dallas Cowboys at FedExField on October 25, 2020 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
LANDOVER, MD - OCTOBER 25: A general view of the stadium after the game between the Washington Football Team and the Dallas Cowboys at FedExField on October 25, 2020 in Landover, Maryland. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images) /
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Mar 15, 2020; Walnut, California, USA; General view of the Pepsi logo on the Daktronics video board of the newly renovated Hilmer Lodge Stadium on the campus of Mt. San Antonio College. The $100 million facility was scheduled to host the 62nd Mt. San Antonio College Relays that were cancelled because of the Covid 19 coronavirus outbreak. It is the first time that the meet was cancelled in its entirety since the inception of the Mt. SAC Relays in 1959. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 15, 2020; Walnut, California, USA; General view of the Pepsi logo on the Daktronics video board of the newly renovated Hilmer Lodge Stadium on the campus of Mt. San Antonio College. The $100 million facility was scheduled to host the 62nd Mt. San Antonio College Relays that were cancelled because of the Covid 19 coronavirus outbreak. It is the first time that the meet was cancelled in its entirety since the inception of the Mt. SAC Relays in 1959. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports /

11 – PepsiCo

The Pepsi and Coca-Cola wars began in 1898 when Pepsi was invented, but the latter had a twelve-year head start.  Both companies are the undisputed kings in the cola markets and the products they produce today go far beyond sodas.  Why does Pepsi make this list?  Does yours truly have a bias against Coca-Cola?  Not at all.  Pepsi is currently a sponsor of the Washington Football Team and this is the sole reason for showing “favoritism” today.

Strangely enough, PepsiCo is not in the Dow 30, but Coca-Cola has been a fixture in the index since 1987.  However, PepsiCo generates more revenue each year and is able to produce an enormous income in all economic conditions.  Last spring, LeBron James left Coca-Cola for PepsiCo after many years with the former.

10 – Fanatics/FansEdge

Go ahead and admit it.  Chances are good that you have bought team apparel and merchandise from Fanatics and/or FansEdge over the years.  They have certainly lightened the bank account in this household for a long time.  Whenever there is a huge sale, it is difficult to resist the enticing offers.  Online apparel companies have exploded in popularity in recent years (more on that angle in a bit) and the convenience of having orders shipped directly to your front door threatens brick and mortar operations.  Don’t count out the local stores just yet – there is a lot of money to be made when any organization can sell NFL items.

Fanatics/FansEdge has been in business since 1995 and is headquartered in Jacksonville, FL.  They sell apparel and souvenirs/merchandise for all 32 NFL teams and for all of the major sports.  It is a privately owned company and the income is unknown, but widely believed to be more than $2 billion a year.  Fanatics/FansEdge could be a legitimate candidate to sponsor a new stadium.

9 – Lockheed Martin

The world’s largest defense contractor could be a top candidate to sponsor a new stadium.  The defense giant also contracts with the Department of Energy and NASA.  LM creates products in the following sectors:  Fighter/attack aircraft, space capsules, satellites, space propulsion, bombers, surveillance aircraft, reconnaissance aircraft, military transport aircraft, weapons systems, maritime patrol systems, fleet defense systems, missiles, radar systems, communications, rotary systems, healthcare, quantum computing, renewable energy, and carbon nanotubes – among many other endeavors.

Lockheed Martin also contracts with the Department of Agriculture, EPA, USPS, IRS, CIA, FBI, NSA, and the Census Bureau.  Contrary to what you may think, Lockheed Martin does not have a contract with 007 and MI6 – at least as far as we know.  Legendary aircraft developed by Lockheed Martin include the F-22, U-2, F-35, A-4 Skyhawk, C-5, F-117, C-130, F-16, P-3 Orion, and the famed SR-71 Blackbird.  The Bethesda, MD defense giant generates a hefty yearly income that is north of $50 billion.  With the rumored military ties to the new team name, Lockheed Martin could be a perfect choice as the new stadium sponsor.

Another athletic apparel company to consider

8 – Under Armour

In 1996, a 24-year-old football player for the University of Maryland founded a small sports apparel company in his grandmother’s basement in Washington, DC.  He provided t-shirts to his former teammates that featured a unique fabric and a company was born.  Kevin Plank, a special teams ace and fullback at Maryland, was on his way to making Under Armour a household name.  Contracts began to come his way within a few years and he moved the UA headquarters to Baltimore.  The company went public in 2005 on the NASDAQ and UA now has offices across the United States and around the world.

Under Armour gear is found in the athletic departments of many colleges and universities in North America.  Yours truly has a collection of UA sweatshirts, hoodies, sweatpants, athletic shorts, winter shirts, and polos.  As we mentioned earlier, online apparel companies have increased in popularity, especially during the pandemic.  UA is no exception and is now a fixture in this market.  Would UA be interested in sponsoring a new stadium and will the NFL allow it?

The NFL has a contract with Nike to supply athletic apparel to each team.  Could the NFL gives its blessing if Under Armour doesn’t sign a clothing deal with Washington?  It’s possible.  In fact, UA could open a new outlet near the stadium without competing directly with the Nike contract.

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