Newcastle United unveil new PIF St James' Park sponsor after £15m deal confirmed

Newcastle majority owners, the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund, put its first notable stamp on St James’ Park on Wednesday evening with the digital pitchside hoardings displaying its logo and lettering during the 3-0 win over Wolves. PIF advertising could be seen alongside the likes of Adidas, Sela, Noon, Saudia and Fenwick.

PIF own an 85% stake in Newcastle following the October 2021 takeover and subsequent departure of Amanda Staveley and Mehrdad Ghodoussi last summer. The club’s owners were initially restricted by Premier League rules, which prevented them from striking commercial deals with related parties.

While that ban has since been lifted, Premier League clubs have been required to prove commercial deals represent ‘fair market value’ and that other offers have been received. The rules have faced intense scrutiny this season with an arbitration case between Manchester City and the Premier League taking place.

St James’ Park was previously used as an advertising vehicle for former owner Mike Ashley’s Sports Direct business -though PIF’s first foray into advertising at Newcastle’s stadium was far more subtle.

It comes amid ongoing talks surrounding the future of St James’ Park, with further details of a potential expansion or stadium rebuild to be revealed later this year. A potential stadium naming-rights deal has also been mooted as it represents the most significant and lucrative commercial package clubs can offer while adhering to the existing rules.

Last year, PIF company Riyadh Air agreed a nine-year deal for the naming rights of Atletico Madrid’s Metropolitano Stadium. The deal is reported to be worth around £250million to the club.

While the financial benefits of PIF’s sponsorship will not be officially disclosed, Newcastle’s owners have recently confirmed a fresh cash injection through the allotment of shares. A Companies House update confirmed that a further £15million had been put into the club on December 31, 2024.

It follows on from two separate investments of £35million and £37million into the club in the same manner in March and October 2024 - taking the investment into the club to £87million inside the last 12 months.

As money is being put into the club in the form of shares rather than a loan, there is no debt or obligation to repay on the club’s behalf.