Car dealership becomes latest to invest in new Manchester arena
Bristol Street Motors has bought the naming rights to The Street, a 4,000-capacity events space within the £350m Co-op Live.
The company joins Co-op, which signed a £100m, 15-year headline sponsorship deal for the Eastlands arena in 2020, and Guinness and Diageo, the official drinks and beer partners respectively.
Co-op Live is being developed by US-based stadium specialist Oak View Group in partnership with City Football Group.
The latter counts Manchester City FC, whose Etihad Stadium and Campus are located nearby, among its assets. The club’s owner and Emirati politician Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan has a controlling stake.
Popstar Harry Styles also has a stake in the project, billed as the UK’s first all-electric arena.
Bristol Street Motors’ 10-year sponsorship deal gives the company exclusive naming rights to The Street, which features a 22-metre bar and a food market and will act as a meeting place for fans before and after events.
The Street will be the largest point of entry to Co-op Live and is designed to become a destination in its own right, according to Oak View Group.
Bam Construction is on site delivering Co-op Live having signed a £253m deal to build the arena, its largest ever UK contract.
Construction is due to complete in 2023.