BT set to land Murrayfield naming rights in £20m deal that will write-off SRU debt and offer boost to Edinburgh and Glasgow clubs



The SRU are poised to sell the naming rights to Murrayfield to telecommunications giants BT in an historic £20million deal.



Sportsmail can reveal that both sides are close to an agreement that will see the iconic stadium re-named.



The BT Sport Stadium, BT Sport Murrayfield Stadium and BT Murrayfield Stadium are three of the possible names under consideration, while in the longer term the company will also look to have their name on the Scotland jersey.



The multi-million pound deal would write-off the SRU’s £11m debt and should also release funds to strengthen both Edinburgh Rugby and Glasgow Warriors in time for next season.

Iconic: The naming rights to Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh are set to be bought by telco giant BT

New era: The SRU and BT are close to agreeing on a £20million deal to chance the stadium's moniker

There is also sure to be a call for some of the cash to be used to set up a third Scottish professional team in Aberdeen to broaden the base of the sport.



SRU chief executive Mark Dodson and Dominic McKay, the head of commercial operations, communications and public affairs, are the men who have worked behind the scenes to make the deal happen.



Sportsmail revealed more than two years ago that the pair had started a world-wide search and even went to Japan for talks with big business to try to find a suitable company willing to pay big money for the naming rights to Murrayfield.



When that came to nothing, and realising BT’s growing presence in the sporting world with their dedicated television channels, Dodson and McKay opened talks with senior executives at the company.



The first step towards a closer link between both parties came when the SRU revealed last year that BT Sport would be shirt sponsor for both Glasgow Warriors and Edinburgh Rugby as part of a four-year sponsorship deal.



Beneficiaries: Scottish clubs Edinburgh and Glasgow could receive a financial boost before next season Shirt front: BT is also looking at a future deal to have its name on the Scotland jersey

That led to the new sports channels’ distinctive logo being displayed on the front of both clubs’ shirts as they competed in the Heineken Cup and the PRO12, which will be broadcast live on Sky from next season.



At the time, Marc Watson, chief executive of TV for BT Retail, said: ‘We are very pleased to invest in Scottish Rugby with this sponsorship, which allows BT and BT Sport to demonstrate a commitment to supporting the game north of the border. This is part of our long-term commitment to rugby, where we see great growth potential in the coming years.’ As part of the deal to link their name to Murrayfield, BT will also try to encourage the stadium to be used for other events such as music concerts, with One Direction due to play there in the summer.



Celtic will also use the stadium for their Champions League qualifier in July as Parkhead is being used for the opening cermeony of the Commonwealth Games.

