The Jean-Bouin stadium in Paris is back to square one regarding its naming rights. The venue, managed by the Stade Français rugby club and also home to paris FC, will not be rebranded as “BHV Stadium – Jean -Bouin.” This naming proposal has been pulled from the agenda of the upcoming paris Council meeting.
Patrick Bloche, the first deputy mayor of Paris, confirmed the decision, stating, Anne Hidalgo refused the naming of Jean-Bouin with BHV.
The Jean-Bouin stadium, owned by the City of Paris, is currently under an exclusive occupation agreement with Stade Français until 2029. The rugby club sought to generate additional revenue through a naming deal, a practice becoming increasingly common in the sports and entertainment world, similar to the Adidas Arena and Accor Hotel Arena in Paris, or the Orange Vélodrome in Marseille.
Stade Français had reached an agreement with BHV, a department store brand, to rename the stadium “BHV Stadium Jean-Bouin.” The proposed deal, which was ultimately withdrawn from the Council of Paris’s deliberation, was set to run for the next four seasons and was projected to bring in an estimated $100,000 per year. The BHV branding was intended to be integrated across all stadium events and visible on physical and digital platforms, including ticketing and hospitality areas.
BHV had reportedly been drawn to the project by the values associated with Stade Français Paris and rugby, and also its strong Parisian identity. However, the department store will not be linked to Jean-Bouin, with no further details provided regarding the specific reasons for Mayor Anne Hidalgo’s refusal.
Refusal Preceded Shein Controversy
the department store,located on Rue de Rivoli and acquired by frédéric Merlin two years ago,has recently faced scrutiny for hosting the fast-fashion brand Shein. Though, sources close to the mayor’s office insist that the decision to reject the Jean-Bouin naming rights was made prior to the Shein controversy.
The role of paris FC in this situation is minimal. The football club,now owned by the Arnault family (who also own LVMH,a competitor to BHV through the samaritaine),is a tenant at Jean-Bouin through a rental agreement with Stade Français and has no decision-making power regarding naming rights.
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