Aston Villa sign long-term Sports Illustrated Tickets deal
Aston Villa have signed a long-term deal with Sports Illustrated Tickets that links new hospitality and fan-zone developments at Villa Park to a rights partnership designed to drive year-round revenue.
Aston Villa have agreed a long-term partnership with Sports Illustrated Tickets, appointing the company as their official fan experience partner as the club expands premium hospitality and non-matchday events at Villa Park.The agreement includes naming rights to the Sports Illustrated Warehouse, a new multi-use venue at the stadium that is intended to operate as a fan zone on matchdays and a commercial events space for wider community and corporate use outside the football calendar.Villa said the partnership aligns with their strategy to make Villa Park a destination venue rather than a match-only asset, a familiar playbook for clubs seeking to grow margin through hospitality, concerts and midweek events.Francesco Calvo, president of business operations at Villa, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with such an iconic, world-renowned brand in Sports Illustrated Tickets. Their desire to create fan-first experiences aligns with our vision to make Villa Park a go-to venue not just on matchdays but throughout the year.”The partnership also introduces two new matchday concepts: Club SI and Sports Illustrated Tickets Plaza, both described as technology-driven experiences designed to deepen pre-match and in-stadium engagement.Club SI is positioned as a hospitality pavilion blending Sports Illustrated editorial and storytelling with premium food and beverage, aimed at supporters and corporate clients looking for a modern social environment tied to the club’s wider entertainment programme.Sports Illustrated Tickets Plaza is planned as a core matchday fan destination with pre-match entertainment, a stage and big screens, plus food and beverage offers intended to extend dwell time and ancillary spend.David Lane, chief executive of Sports Illustrated Tickets, said: “This long-term partnership with Aston Villa brings together premium hospitality and Sports Illustrated’s iconic storytelling to deliver authentic, unparalleled fan experiences like only an SI brand can deliver.”Lane said the deal supports the company’s expansion in the UK and Europe, and gives it a high-visibility platform inside a Premier League venue where clubs are investing in infrastructure that can be monetised 365 days a year.The partnership has been described elsewhere as a 12-year agreement beginning in the 2026–27 season, and financial terms have not been disclosed.Strategically, the deal underlines how clubs are packaging stadium redevelopment, premium inventory and fan-zone real estate into multi-year commercial partnerships, with naming rights and experiential concepts increasingly tied to broader venue utilisation rather than traditional perimeter sponsorship alone.