The San Jose Earthquakes' soccer stadium will now be known as PayPal Park under a sponsorship deal that will also bring new contactless payments and a reserved section for underserved community members to the Major League Soccer team’s home.
The Earthquakes and PayPal announced the multi-year sponsorship agreement Monday, which includes naming rights for stadium.
“We are thrilled to have San Jose's stadium and great social gathering space bearing the name of a hometown employer, community partner, and global industry leader in PayPal,” said San José Mayor Sam Liccardo. “PayPal's partnership with the Quakes prominently positions two authentic, wildly popular San Jose brands at our city's gateway, greeting millions of visitors travelling annually through our airport into Silicon Valley.”
The announcement said the partnership will “reimagine the future of live event experiences for sports fans” by taking advantage of PayPal’s digital payments technology.
The park will be outfitted with contactless payment systems that will “help transform PayPal Park into a leading-edge, post COVID-19 venue,” according to the announcement. Customers will be able to scan QR codes to pay touch-free at locations around the stadium, and “fast lanes” will let those paying with PayPal or Venmo check out more quickly.
“PayPal is deeply committed to San Jose, and we are excited to partner with the San Jose Earthquakes to introduce PayPal Park to our passionate Quakes community and local small businesses,” PayPal President and CEO Dan Schulman said.
Earthquakes Chief Operating Officer Jared Shawlee said the tech giant – whose headquarters are less than two miles from the Earthquakes’ front office – will work with the team to give back to the San Jose community.
“We couldn’t be more thrilled to find a stadium naming rights partner that aligns with our vision of uplifting the local community,” said Shawlee. “We’re excited to partner on a number of initiatives that aim to support local small businesses and underserved youth, while also making the stadium a more touchless experience for our guests.”
The newly named stadium will feature a 250-seat reserved section to host underserved members of the community with complimentary tickets and transportation to and from home matches, the Earthquakes said. The team did not specify how fans would qualify for the benefits.
The club said there will be opportunities for local youth and nonprofit organizations to play games on the stadium field and to attend team training sessions, as well.
In addition, the partners pledged to support small businesses, including spotlighting a small business at each home game with special signage, social media promotion and more. PayPal Park will also explore hosting other events that bring together the local community and small businesses, the group said.
Tip: Look for some special offers and giveaways from PayPal and Venmo for Earthquakes fans.
