The Major League Soccer (MLS) team New York City FC recently announced the KLUTCH Sports Group and its Global Partnerships Division as the club’s Agency of Record for Founding Partnerships at New York City’s first-ever soccer-specific stadium slated to open in 2027.
‘newyorkcityfc.com’ stated that in this role, KLUTCH will assist with the club’s go-to-market strategy and lead the sales process for the club’s most prominent partnership tier. The Founding Partnerships, which will be part of the new ‘Excelsior Partner Program’, will provide a select group of brands with exclusive in-stadium entitlement opportunities and inventory far exceeding a traditional partnership.
The New York City Football Club, also known as the New York City FC and shortened as NYCFC, is an American professional soccer club based in New York City (US). The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference.
The 46,537-capacity Yankee Stadium is a baseball stadium located in Bronx in New York City (US). It is the home field of Major League Baseball’s (MLB’s) New York Yankees and New York City FC of Major League Soccer (MLS).
The 25,000-capacity New York City FC Stadium is a soccer-specific stadium to be built in Willets Point in the New York City borough of Queens (US) for the New York City FC of Major League Soccer (MLS), who currently play their home games at the Yankee Stadium. The construction is scheduled to begin in 2024 and is expected to be completed in 2027.
The stadium, designed by HOK (American design, architecture, engineering, and urban planning firm), is made to fit in a narrow, jagged footprint within the larger Willets Point Project site. It features a rectangular-shaped structure with the Southeast corner cut off by the existing Willets Point Boulevard and the Northwest corner framed to match.
The KLUTCH Sports Group is an American sports agency based in Los Angeles, California, founded by sports agent and head honcho Rich Paul. The KLUTCH Sports Group also has offices in Atlanta, Georgia, New York, New York and Cleveland, Ohio.
The KLUTCH Sports Group represents some of the world’s biggest athletes in major professional sports. Black-owned and women-led, KLUTCH helps clients capitalize on opportunities across the rapidly changing entertainment, media and business landscape at any stage of their careers.
The Global Partnerships Division of the KLUTCH Sports Group helps connect the athletes, the teams and the brands with the fans.
An agency of record (AOR) is a marketing agency that a client hires to represent their company in public relations and media buys. The AOR acts as a legal entity of the company negotiating prices and signing contracts with the clients.
‘newyorkcityfc.com’ quoted Brad Sims, New York City FC Chief Executive Officer (CEO) as stating, “There has never been a better time to be a soccer fan in New York City. We are planning to create the best soccer venue in the country that authentically represents our City, is embedded in the community, future-forward, and a model of sustainability. We are excited to work with KLUTCH on our ‘Excelsior Partner Program’ and are confident they will connect us with the like-minded brands that share our values and excitement over the meteoric rise of the World’s Game (football) in both the New York City market and nationwide. With our new home, our goal is to make the New York City FC the flagship franchise in Major League Soccer (MLS) and the hottest ticket in New York sports.”
The Major League Soccer (MLS) is a men’s professional soccer league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation, which represents the sport’s highest level in the United States. The league comprises 29 teams – 26 in the United States and 3 in Canada – since the 2023 season. The MLS is headquartered in Midtown Manhattan.
Earlier this year, the New York City Council voted overwhelmingly to approve the next phase of the Willets Point Redevelopment project, including the New York City FC’s stadium. The new stadium will be 100 percent privately-financed, seat approximately 25,000 people and will be the first fully electric sports stadium in New York City and all Major League Soccer. The stadium is scheduled to open ahead of the 2027 MLS regular season following the highly anticipated 2026 FIFA World Cup™ that New York and New Jersey will help host.
The stadium will also be part of a new, 23-acre neighborhood at Willets Point, Queens, which will feature 2,500 new affordable housing units, a new 650-seat public school, a brand-new hotel, and more than 150,000 square feet of public open space. The Willets Point redevelopment project is estimated to generate $6.1 billion in economic activity, create 1,550 permanent jobs and 14,200 construction jobs. To learn more about the project, click here.
KLUTCH, with access to the United Talent Agency’s (UTA) global platform, connects the top teams, major leagues and properties with global brands.
Beverly Hills (US)-based the United Talent Agency (UTA) unites ideas, opportunities and talent. The company represents some of the world’s most iconic, barrier-breaking artistes, creators and changemakers – from the actors, athletes and musicians to the writers, gamers and the digital influencers. One of the most influential companies in global entertainment, the UTA’s business spans talent representation and content production as well as strategic advisory and marketing work with some of the world’s biggest brands.
Andrew Feinberg, Head of Global Partnerships, and the Global Partnerships team will source strategic and impactful partners throughout the development of New York City FC’s new stadium, informed by cutting-edge valuation and insights from UTA’s Senior Vice-President (SVP) of Sports and Brand Insights, Caryn Rosoff. This will include securing brands for the club’s most prominent partnership tier, the ‘Excelsior Partner Program’, which will provide a select group of brands with heightened visibility, exclusive stadium inventory and VIP experiences.
Enthused Feinberg, “KLUTCH’s mission since our inception, and through our rapid growth, has been to find ways to be disrupters and connect the athletes, the teams and the brands to their fans. We are excited to help the New York City FC build something truly special for its global fan base and the entire community by aligning them with the organizations and the brands that resonate in both New York and the international markets and whose ethos and values align with those of New York City FC.”
The above announcement is an expansion of the pre-existing relationship between KLUTCH and the New York City FC. Earlier this year, KLUTCH was instrumental in bringing together the club and Capital Rx with the health technology company becoming the Official Sleeve Partner of the New York City FC.
New York (US)-based Capital Rx is a healthcare technology company advancing United States electronic healthcare infrastructure to improve the drug price visibility and patient outcomes.
Guided by the visionary leadership of the CEO and Founder Rich Paul, KLUTCH has established itself as a leader in both athlete representation and global partnerships and strategic advisory.
Continue to follow Coliseum for latest updates on venues business news. Coliseum is dedicated towards building the best global community of sports and entertainment venue executives and professionals creating better and more profitable venues.
Become a member of the only Global Sports Venue Alliance and connect with stadiums, arenas and experts from around the world. Apply for membership at coliseum-online.com/alliance and make use of the 365Coliseum Business.