Possible sponsors for new Washington Football Team stadium

Before we reveal the final three, there are five companies that could sponsor a new stadium and all five of them are current sponsors of the Washington Football Team.  They include NRG Energy, FanDuel, MGM Resorts, Anheuser-Busch, and Inova Health System.  They are likely to remain as sponsors and it is unlikely that any of them would sponsor a new stadium, but that is not a 100% guarantee.

3 – Toyota

One of the world’s leading manufacturers of automobiles could sponsor a new stadium.  Nissan has their name on the Titans stadium in Nashville and Ford sponsors the huge training facility of the Dallas Cowboys.  Is Toyota ready to make another big splash in the sports world and sponsor an NFL stadium?  We list this automaker as one of the top possibilities.  Toyota has a business relationship with many NFL teams, including Washington.  During press conferences with the coaches and players, you will often see the many Toyota logos in the background.

Toyota was founded in 1937 by Kiichiro Toyoda, the son of a businessman and inventor.  The first Toyota to gain international acclaim was the Toyota 2000GT sports car that was featured in a James Bond film in 1967.  Toyota began to have an impact on the worldwide market when energy prices skyrocketed in the 1970s and became an industry leader by the 1980s.  Earlier in this new millennium, Toyota streamlined the process of manufacturing and improved production time by more than 40%.  They also introduced hybrid technology, electric transportation, and fuel cell vehicles.

Toyota has a major imprint in the sports world.  Toyota sponsors several sports venues including soccer stadiums, a basketball arena, an ice hockey training facility, a college football stadium, several racing venues, and an all-purpose arena.  Toyota cars race in European LeMans, World Rally, Indy Racing League, and NHRA.  Toyota also races in NASCAR’s three main series.  The flagship team for Toyota in the NASCAR Cup Series is Joe Gibbs Racing.  Remember Coach Gibbs?  Don’t you think it is time for Toyota to sponsor an NFL stadium?

2 – Amazon

The internet as we know it today (the “www” – world wide web) was barely a year old when a young man started an online bookstore business from his garage in Bellevue, WA.  In the summer of 1994, Jeff Bezos created a company known as Amazon.  The young online business went public during a period known as the “internet boom”, but Amazon struggled to make a profit in the early days and was trading in the single digits in early 2000.  Bezos was not deterred and was able to put Amazon on a path to incredible success.  You know they are truly “big-time” when supreme actor extraordinaire Harrison Ford starred in several Amazon Super Bowl commercials in 2019.

Amazon now earns more than $20 billion each year and is the largest retailer in the United States today.  They are also a technology giant, grocery store, delivery service, publishing empire, internet service provider, entertainment producer, pharmacy, and a countless number of other business ventures.  As one of the information technology “Big Five” giants, Amazon has impacted nearly every citizen in the United States and many others throughout the world.  Yours truly admits to being a fan and they have helped to lighten the wallet as well.  Amazon has shipping centers and warehouses in and around most of the bigger cities of the United States.

Amazon’s headquarters is located in Seattle, WA.  In 2017, Amazon decided to expand its headquarters and announced a second HQ (HQ2) site in Arlington, VA.  Employees began moving into the new center in 2019 and the second HQ is still in the construction phase.  It is widely known that Bezos would like to own an NFL team, but none are currently for sale.  He could decide to sponsor Washington’s new stadium and have an association with the league that he so desperately seeks.  Keep an eye on Amazon.  Can you imagine the technological and retail benefits of having an Amazon or Amazon Prime Stadium?

A really sweet local connection

1 – M&M’s (Mars, Inc.)

We have arrived at our top candidate for possible stadium sponsors.  Any of the top 25 choices would be a solid sponsor, but only one will prevail in the end.  There could be a company that is not mentioned here, but we honestly think the final choice will come from this list.  The number one business on our list is M&M’s and Mars, Inc.  Mars is privately owned by the Mars family and is headquartered in McLean, VA.  Each year, Mars brings in more than $35 billion in revenue and most of the yearly financial statements are not released to the public.  But make no mistake about it, Mars makes a lot of money and can easily sponsor a Washington Football Team stadium.

The flagship candies for Mars are M&M’s and Snickers.  Founded in 1911, Mars is the undisputed leader in this industry and will continue to be the most popular candies for Americans and citizens of the world.  In addition to the two aforementioned candies, Mars also produces Milky Way, Twix, Mars Bars, 3 Musketeers, Skittles, Wrigley’s Gum, Combos, Starburst, Big Red, and many others.  They also produce pet foods such as Pedigree, Royal Canin, Pill Pockets, Eukanuba, and Whiskas.

Mars has been in NASCAR since 1990 as a team sponsor and currently sponsors NASCAR champion Kyle Busch in the #18 M&Ms Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing.  After this season, M&Ms and Mars will leave NASCAR altogether and exit the sports world – for now.  Are they planning to shift to the NFL and the Washington Football Team?  If this happens, M&Ms is likely to be the primary Mars product that is featured for the new venue.  Just imagine the impact it would have on the youngest fans and candy aficionados throughout the DMV.  Be honest – you’re already thinking about the M&M’s characters in Washington Football Team helmets.  Just imagine players like Terry McLaurin and Chase Young appearing in commercials with the M&Ms characters.  This would truly be the sweetest sponsorship of all.

There is your list of 25 businesses and potential sponsors.  If you have already made a connection to former head coach Joe Gibbs and two of the companies, you are 100% correct.  Would Coach Gibbs be something of a liaison for such a deal if it happens?  Don’t bet against it.