In a bid to help hard-hit Spain, FC Barcelona announced last week that, for the first time ever, they will sell its stadium naming rights, according to BBC Sport. The money received for renaming the legendary Nou Camp stadium — the soccer team’s home since 1957 — will be donated to efforts combating COVID-19.
The club’s foundation, Barca Foundation, has been given the rights, as well as the task of finding a sponsor for 2020-2021.
Among the first potential sponsors with a reported interest is co-owner Mike Tyson’s cannabis company, Swissx. Perhaps living by the motto that “any publicity is good publicity,” Tyson’s co-owner and business partner, Alki David, says, “It’s something we’ve specifically been looking for to adopt in our company and it seemed like an amazing idea,” BBC reports.
“Spain has a long tradition within the European Union as being a leader or a liberal in the road towards legalization, so it’s evolved quite naturally,” he adds.
Should the rights be acquired, he is already thinking ahead, musing that not only could the structure be called Swissx Stadium — his and Tyson’s company focuses on CBD and wellness — it could also include “plant medicine products” at stadium concession stands.
Swissx has already attracted plenty of endorsements from high-profile types, the company claims, including fashion designer Donatella Versace, the Foo Fighters’ Dave Navarro and Scott Disick of Keeping up with the Kardashians
