Opening the Conversation: Why This Moment Matters

• Tell me briefly about why your team is exploring naming rights now
• How familiar is your board and C suite with long term naming rights deals Options: Very familiar, have completed deals, Some familiarity, have reviewed examples, Heard of them but no hands on experience, Not familiar
• Who on your team will own the final decision and who needs to be consulted along the way
• When you imagine success from a naming rights partnership in year one and in year five, what are the most important outcomes for your brand
• Which external advisors or agency types will you involve for valuation or activation work Options: Brand agency, Media agency, Valuation advisor, Legal counsel, In house only, Other
• Do you already have target markets or customer segments you want the venue name to reach Options: Yes, clearly defined segments, Partially defined, need refinement, No, open to recommendation

Where Your Brand Ambition Collides With Constraints

• If the naming rights failed to increase your brand unaided awareness within three years, would you still consider the investment Options: No, awareness lift is essential, Maybe, if other business outcomes improve, Yes, long term branding is the goal
• Describe the top three brand metrics your CMO is responsible for that this deal must move for your organization
• How do you prioritize broader market reach versus deeper engagement with local audiences when evaluating sponsorships Options: Priority on national reach, Priority on local depth, Balanced approach, Unsure
• Estimate the percent of your annual marketing budget you could realistically allocate to a naming rights package over the first three years Options: Under 1%, 1 to 3%, 3 to 6%, 6% or more, Undecided
• Which customer segments or local populations must see your venue name for the deal to be considered successful
• Who on your side will sign off on the activation plan versus the naming agreement Options: CMO, Head of Partnerships, General Counsel, CFO, Other

Events and Exposure, Not Just a Sign on the Building

• Where would your marketing budget go if you could not secure anchor exposure from the venue events and broadcast calendar
• Provide your target annual reach in impressions and the channels that matter most to you
• In a typical year, how many owned or paid media activations do you expect to run as part of a naming deal Options: 0 to 3, 4 to 8, 9 to 15, More than 15
• List the events on the venue calendar that are non negotiable for your brand presence and why
• Identify the person or role on your team who owns measurement for media exposure and can share historical campaign performance Options: Head of Insights, Head of Marketing, Agency measurement lead, No one assigned yet
• If attendance trends decline by 15% in a year, what contingency would you expect in reporting or value adjustment from a partner
• Are there particular broadcast partners or streaming platforms where your brand must appear alongside the venue Options: Linear broadcast, National streaming partners, Local broadcast, Social live feeds, No strict requirement
• Estimate the minimum annual attendance or household reach threshold that would justify this investment for your organization

Who's Holding the Keys: Decision Rhythm and Internal Politics

• What internal objection would stop this deal from advancing through your board Options: Price too high, Brand risk concerns, Length of commitment, Insufficient measurement, Other
• Name the quiet blockers and who the public champions are for long term brand investments in your leadership
• What is the typical timeline your procurement or finance team needs to approve multi year sponsorship commitments Options: Less than 30 days, 30 to 60 days, 60 to 120 days, Over 120 days
• Describe the level of legal or compliance review required for naming agreements in your organization Options: Standard sponsorship contract, Extensive review and custom modules, Requires board legal sign off, Unsure
• Would a staged payment with early opt outs tied to reputation events be acceptable to your finance or legal team Options: Yes, Maybe with limits, No
• On a scale from 1 to 5, how sensitive is your board to headline risk or controversy involving naming partners Options: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5
• Identify the single non negotiable term or risk for your organization that would stop this process today

Risks and Deal Killers We Need on the Table

• Tell me about the worst case reputational issue you fear from a naming partner and the likely consequences for your brand
• List any regulatory or stadium leasing clauses tied to your venue that could legally prevent a name change
• Point to the financial or performance metrics in your contracts that would trigger an automatic review or renegotiation Options: Attendance thresholds, Media impression guarantees, Revenue share metrics, Brand safety incidents, Other
• Please name the role in your organization that must sign any reputational response plan Options: General Counsel, Head of Communications, CEO, CRO, Other
• State the single compliance or ownership constraint for your organization that would kill the deal outright

Competitive Landscape and the Alternatives You're Weighing

• Assuming you keep your current sponsorship strategy, how much future brand permanence or reach are you willing to give up Options: Significant permanence and reach, Moderate loss acceptable, Very little, need comparable permanence, Undecided
• Name the other large venue or naming sponsorship opportunities your team is actively evaluating right now
• Do you have an internal proposal to fund a naming equivalent from your marketing budget without outside advisors Options: Yes, internal option ready, Work in progress, No, not viable
• Point to the incumbent sponsor or internal program this would replace and explain what would have to be true for your organization to stay with it
• Under what internal conditions would you choose to handle this without an outside vendor
• Would you still pursue an external negotiation if an internal option matched 80% of projected impressions at half the fee Options: Yes, to get beyond 80%, Only if external adds specific activations, No, internal option sufficient, Undecided

Operational Readiness and Constraints: Can You Deliver the Commitments

• Confirm the single person or role in your organization who will be accountable for delivering tech, measurement, and legal resources, because without that accountability the deal cannot move
• Provide the third party system categories your team will need to integrate for live signage, broadcast identifiers, and reporting feeds, for example ticketing, broadcast, social analytics Options: Ticketing system, Broadcast playout, Streaming partner, Social analytics, CRM, Ad servers, Other
• Are APIs or data export permissions currently available for those systems, and who in your organization owns them Options: APIs available and owned internally, APIs available and owned by vendor, No APIs available, Unsure
• State the number of dedicated FTEs or agency days you can commit to activation work in the first 12 months
• Indicate the typical duration of your legal review and procurement approval process and note any windows where approvals cannot occur Options: Under 30 days, 30 to 60 days, 60 to 120 days, Over 120 days
• Confirm whether you would pause the process if a required system or legal approval could not be provided within your target deal timeline Options: Yes, pause until resolved, Proceed with carve outs, Continue while we mitigate risk, Depends on issue

If the Numbers Check Out: What Would Make You Move Fast

• Assuming a pilot proves target impressions and brand lift, what would make you sign within 30 days
• Select the payment cadence your finance team would prefer Options: Annual payments, Upfront lump sum, Blended upfront and annual, Milestone based, Other
• Indicate whether you require exclusivity in your category or are open to non competing sponsors in other categories Options: Require exclusivity, Open to limited non competing sponsors, No exclusivity required, Undecided
• Specify the reporting cadence and KPIs that would satisfy your procurement and CFO that the fee is delivering value Options: Quarterly impressions and attendance, Monthly activation performance, Annual audited report, Custom cadence
• On timing, when does your fiscal or budget year begin and how does that affect signing windows for your organization Options: Calendar year, Fiscal year starting Q1, Fiscal year starting Q2, Other
• Give the signing authority role and the expected timeframe once valuation and the first year activation plan align
• Give a short checklist of documents or approvals your organization needs to accelerate internal review Options: Signed NDA, Board briefing memo, Valuation memo, Legal terms list, Activation calendar, Budget approval

• Partnership Vision Workshop

• Confirm the current state and its cost to your team
• You confirm the modeled media scenarios and comparable valuations reflect your expectations and remove the valuation uncertainty blocking board approval.
• Deliver an asset-specific valuation model with three media exposure scenarios and a term sensitivity analysis within five business days.
• You agree on which activation concepts deliver the impressions that matter to your brand KPIs.
• Comparable valuations and market mapping
• Provide recent brand KPIs, target markets, desired awareness outcomes, and the internal approval timeline.
• Media exposure scenarios and impressions model
• Confirm the internal decision-makers and the specific approval criteria the board will require for a multi-year naming rights commitment.
• You agree the remaining evidence and timeline required to advance to a term sheet.
• Activation concepts tied to measurable outcomes
• Select up to two activation concepts from today's walkthrough for deeper costing and prototyping.
• Term and risk sensitivity analysis
• Confirm this maps to your needs
• Agree next steps and decision evidence

• Partnership Vision Workshop
• Partnership Vision Deck
• Partnership Vision Brief

• meeting
• slides
• document

• Prepare Comparable-Deal Valuation Model
• Build Media-Impression Valuation Model
• Identify and Qualify Prospective Sponsors
• Conduct Confidential Outreach to Prospects
• Facilitate Competitive Bidding Process
• Draft and Negotiate Term Sheet
• Negotiate Definitive Naming Rights Agreement
• Structure Commercial Payment and Equity Terms
• Assemble Sponsor Due Diligence Package
• Administer Upfront Payments and Escrow
• Oversee Signage and Venue Brand Integration
• Activate Broadcast and Digital Brand Placements
• Manage Activation Budget and Spend Reporting
• Deliver Annual Partnership Performance Reports

Prepare Comparable-Deal Valuation Model

• How many comparable naming rights transactions (by venue type and media market) should we include in the model? Options: 3-5, 6-10, 10+
• Which venue attributes must match for a comp to be considered valid (choose all that apply)? Options: Venue type (arena/stadium/entertainment center), Seating capacity range, Market DMA size, Team performance tier / league level, Similar event calendar (concerts, playoffs)
• Provide the deal term lengths (in years) you want modeled as base cases (e.g., 10, 15, 20).
• Specify how to treat extraordinary comps (e.g., deals with material equity, distressed sales) in the analysis. Options: Include with adjustment, Exclude from baseline, Show separately in appendix
• Indicate whether we should include naming rights with partial venue components (e.g., plaza, practice facility) as separate comparables. Options: Yes, include separate line items, No, restrict to full-venue naming rights
• Attach or list any specific past transactions you want prioritized as primary comparables.

Build Media-Impression Valuation Model

• How should we weight impressions from owned venue channels (LED bowl, concourse screens) versus broadcast inventory? Options: Broadcast weighted higher, Equal weighting, Venue-owned channels weighted higher, Custom weighting — specify below
• Which broadcast measurement(s) do you prefer as the primary media source for modeling (e.g., Nielsen local ratings, network reach)? Options: Nielsen local/market ratings, Network-level reach estimates, Team broadcast partner metrics, Other — specify
• Estimate the annual event count to be used in impressions modeling (include preseason, regular season, playoffs, non-sport events). Options: Less than 100 events, 100-200 events, 200+ events
• Identify which in-venue inventory should be modeled with unique CPMs (e.g., LED ribbon, center-hung, concourse billboards, wayfinding). Options: LED ribbon, Center-hung signage, Concourse screens, Wayfinding signage, Premium suites / VIP signage
• Provide the social and digital assets to include in impressions (e.g., team social posts per season, highlight clips), and whether to apply a viewability adjustment. Options: Include social with no adjustment, Include social with viewability factor, Exclude social/digital
• Do you require scenario outputs at multiple price-per-impression (PPI) thresholds for sensitivity testing? Options: Yes, No

Identify and Qualify Prospective Sponsors

• Which sponsor industry categories should be prioritized (select up to 5)? Options: Automotive, Financial services, Telecom, Healthcare, Technology, Consumer packaged goods, Retail, Travel & hospitality, Energy
• List the minimum annual marketing budget band the prospective sponsor must have to be considered qualified. Options: Less than $5M, $5M–$20M, $20M–$50M, More than $50M
• Do you need prospects pre-qualified for board-level approval (C-suite + board-ready materials)? Options: Yes, board-ready, C-suite only, No, initial outreach only
• Are there exclusivity categories that immediately disqualify a prospect (for example, existing category sponsor in the same market)? Options: Yes — list exclusions below, No exclusions
• Provide any required corporate attributes for qualification (e.g., public company, minimum revenue, ESG score).
• Do you want prospects screened for reputational risk before outreach (media risk, sanctions, litigation)? Options: Yes, full reputational screen, Basic screening only, No pre-screen

Conduct Confidential Outreach to Prospects

• Which outreach channel mix should we use for confidential approaches (email, introductory call, advisor intro)? Options: Email + call, Advisor warm-intro only, Email only, Direct C-suite outreach
• Do you require a mutual non-disclosure agreement (NDA) before sharing the naming rights information package? Options: Yes, NDA required, No NDA for high-level summary, Only under specific conditions
• Provide the maximum size of the initial outreach list (number of corporate targets) you want contacted in the confidential phase. Options: 5-10, 11-25, 26-50, 50+
• Specify materials to include in the confidential pitch pack (e.g., executive summary, event calendar, expected impressions model). Options: Executive summary, Event calendar & attendance, Impressions snapshot, Signage site plan, All of the above
• Indicate desired turnaround for initial prospect responses to outreach (e.g., request for meeting within X days). Options: 3 business days, 7 business days, 14 business days
• Are there 'do-not-contact' lists or existing sponsor relationships we must avoid during outreach? Options: Yes — provide list, No

Facilitate Competitive Bidding Process

• Which auction format do you prefer for soliciting competitive offers (sealed bids, multi-round auction, negotiated final offers)? Options: Sealed bids, Two-round auction, Multi-round with shortlist, Open negotiation
• What minimum commercial reserve should be set for the process, or should we recommend a reserve based on valuation output? Options: Buyer to provide reserve, We recommend reserve based on valuation, No reserve — accept best offer
• How many shortlisted prospects should advance to final bid stage? Options: 2, 3, 4+, No shortlisting — take all final bids
• Specify bidder confidentiality and information access rules (data room, redacted materials, meeting attendance limits). Options: Full data room access with NDA, Redacted pack only, Live presentations only
• Indicate whether evaluation will weight baseline commercial terms or activation commitments more heavily. Options: Commercial terms heavier, Activation commitments heavier, Equal weighting, Custom scoring matrix
• Do you require an independent fairness opinion or third-party valuation validation for the selected bid? Options: Yes, No, Optional if contested

Draft and Negotiate Term Sheet

• Which term length options should be reflected in the term sheet (primary and alternate lengths)? Options: 10 years, 15 years, 20 years, Custom — specify
• Specify the preferred payment structure to include (annual fee, lump-sum upfront, hybrid, equity component). Options: Annual fee, Upfront lump-sum, Hybrid (upfront + annual), Equity component
• Identify exclusivity categories to be captured in the term sheet (list product/service categories).
• Do you want renewal option mechanics included (right of first refusal, fixed renewal price, revaluation at term)? Options: Right of first refusal, Fixed renewal metric, Revalue at market then negotiate, No renewal option
• Who within your organization will be authorized to sign the non-binding term sheet for initial commitment?
• Are activation minimums (e.g., number of broadcast mentions, in-stadium activations per season) required to be stated in the term sheet? Options: Yes — list minimums, No — keep high-level

Negotiate Definitive Naming Rights Agreement

• Which legal modules must be included in the definitive agreement (indemnity, insurance limits, IP license, termination for cause)? Options: Indemnity, Insurance minimums, IP license, Termination clauses, Force majeure
• Provide required insurance coverage minimums (types and limits) to be reflected in the contract.
• Specify responsibilities for obtaining municipal or venue permits for signage installation. Options: We obtain permits, Sponsor obtains permits, Shared responsibility
• Identify required approval workflows for sponsor creative (e.g., pre-game graphics, in-venue creative) including approval windows. Options: 48-hour approval window, 5 business days, Custom SLA
• Do you require specific termination triggers tied to reputational events or team misconduct? Options: Yes — list triggers, No
• Where should dispute resolution be governed (jurisdiction, arbitration vs court)? Options: Local jurisdiction court, Arbitration, Hybrid / specify

Structure Commercial Payment and Equity Terms

• What payment cadence is preferred for the commercial fee (annual, quarterly, monthly, upfront)? Options: Annual, Quarterly, Monthly, Upfront lump-sum, Hybrid
• Will CPI or other escalation indexation be applied to annual fees, and if so which index? Options: Consumer Price Index (CPI), Fixed percentage escalation, No escalation, Custom index
• If an equity component is part of consideration, specify the vehicle (private company equity, convertible note, warrants) and any vesting schedule. Options: Private equity, Convertible instrument, Warrants, None
• Indicate acceptable payment providers or mechanisms for large transfers (wire, escrow agent, certified funds). Options: Wire transfer, Escrow agent, Certified funds
• Do you require tax gross-up or withholding provisions reflected in the commercial terms? Options: Yes, gross-up, No, standard tax treatment
• Specify any milestone-based payment triggers (e.g., signage installed, opening event completed). Options: Signage completion, Opening event, First broadcast integration, None

Assemble Sponsor Due Diligence Package

• Which corporate diligence documents must the sponsor provide (audited financials, corporate governance, beneficial owner details)? Options: Audited financials, Corporate formation docs, Ultimate beneficial owner list, Board approval minutes
• Do you require enhanced screening for sanctions, Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs), or litigation exposure? Options: Yes — enhanced screening, Basic identity verification only, No additional screening
• Provide the timeline expected for sponsor to deliver due diligence packet after LOI (days). Options: 7 days, 14 days, 30 days, Custom
• Specify any confidentiality level or redaction you require when sharing due diligence records with internal stakeholders. Options: Full access for legal only, Redacted for commercial team, Shared with confidentiality
• Are background reference checks on sponsor executives required as part of diligence? Options: Yes, No, Only for C-suite
• List any regulatory or industry-specific checks needed (e.g., FCC, gaming authority, advertising regulator).

Administer Upfront Payments and Escrow

• Which escrow agent or type of escrow arrangement should be used for upfront funds? Options: Bank escrow, Third-party trust agent, In-house escrow account
• Provide the expected timing for upfront payment to clear relative to definitive agreement signature (e.g., within X days). Options: Within 5 business days, Within 10 business days, Within 30 days, Custom
• What evidence will validate that upfront payments have been received and cleared into escrow (acceptable confirmation documents)?
• Indicate any holdback or escrow release conditions tied to deliverables (e.g., signage installed, event milestone). Options: Signage completion holdback, Time-based release, No holdback
• Do you require wire instructions and tax documentation to be vetted by our finance team before funds transfer? Options: Yes, vet both, Only wire instructions, No vetting required
• Specify refund or termination handling for upfront funds if definitive agreement is not executed. Options: Full refund, Partial retention for costs, Case-by-case

• Commercial Term Sheet
• Naming Rights Agreement
• Payment Schedule & Security Exhibit
• Exclusivity Addendum
• Activation & Signage Exhibit
• Brand Use & Intellectual Property License
• Insurance, Indemnity & Risk Allocation Schedule
• Reporting, Measurement & Audit Exhibit
• Closing Deliverables Checklist
• Execution & Signature Pages

• Integration and Launch Health Check
• Commercial Performance Review (First Measurement)
• Bilateral Obligations Audit (90-day review)
• Quarterly Partnership Review

• Deliver a ticket-resolution plan for SLA-overdue items with target dates and verification criteria.
• Issue updated remediation task list with owners and target dates to close before the bilateral obligations audit.
• Restate each party's contractual obligations
• Document a clear pass/conditional/fail outcome for each contractual obligation with evidence attached.
• Agree remediation items with concrete verification criteria and resolution dates for any unmet obligations.
• Capture formal acknowledgment from the buyer or the buyer signatory role for the audit outcomes when applicable.
• Publish the obligations audit report with evidence attachments and recorded outcomes for each obligation.
• Create remediation tickets with verification criteria and target completion dates for conditional items.
• Schedule a verification call or asynchronous evidence submission to confirm remediation completion before the next quarterly review.
• Year-to-date performance against annual targets
• Ensure year-to-date media and activation metrics remain on track against the targets recorded in Deal Scope & Asset Definition or identify corrective priorities.
• Reduce the count of open SLA-overdue tickets and commit to timelines for remaining items.
• Agree a prioritized list of enhancement requests with timelines for evaluation or delivery in the next quarter.
• Publish the quarterly performance pack with reconciled media impressions, attendance figures, and activation delivery evidence.
• Update the enhancement backlog with priority, estimated effort, and target delivery quarter.
• Re-confirm commitments from Deal Scope & Asset Definition
• All critical installation items verified or recorded with remediation dates.
• Broadcast and digital integrations confirmed live or a clear remediation plan assigned.
• Activation readiness confirmed for the next major event or a mitigation plan agreed.
• Produce an installation closeout report with photos and punch-list by the agreed remediation due date.
• Publish a short remediation tracker with owners and target completion dates for open issues.
• Confirm next measurement meeting date and data sources that will supply media impressions and attendance figures.
• Present media impressions and reach vs targets
• Determine whether delivered media impressions and event attendance are tracking toward the numeric targets recorded in Deal Scope & Asset Definition.
• Document root causes for any shortfalls in activation impressions or attendance and agree corrective actions with timelines.
• Confirm invoicing and payment status and clear any outstanding commercial reconciliation items.
• Deliver a reconciled media delivery report with underlying measurement sources and methodology notes.
• Produce an activation compliance log showing signage positions, dates, and photographic proof for disputed events.
• Present evidence of fulfillment or gap for each obligation
• Review event attendance vs forecast
• Site and signage installation verification
• Open issues and ticket burn-down
• Enhancement requests and prioritization
• Broadcast and digital integration check
• Formal acknowledgment and conditional outcomes
• Activation deliverables and compliance
• Activation calendar and operational readiness
• Reporting quality and delivery timeliness
• Commercial reconciliation, invoicing and payment milestones
• Agree remediation plans and verification criteria
• Confirm next quarter activation calendar and milestones
• Open issues triage and immediate remediation
• Agree corrective actions and timeline to obligations audit