AT&T and the Dallas Cowboys extended their stadium naming rights agreement past 2030, preserving the telecom carrier's hold on the $1.3 billion venue in Arlington that opened in 2009. Neither party disclosed financial terms or the exact expiration date of the new deal. The original 20-year contract, signed before the stadium opened, was believed to pay the Cowboys between $17 million and $19 million annually—a figure that ranked among the top three NFL naming deals at the time.
The extension arrives as naming rights valuations have climbed sharply. SoFi paid $625 million over 20 years for the Rams and Chargers venue in Inglewood, resetting the market at $31.25 million per year. Allegiant's deal in Las Vegas runs $20 million to $25 million annually. AT&T Stadium hosts 12 million visitors per year across Cowboys games, college football showcases, concerts, and corporate events, giving the brand exposure that extends well beyond the eight regular-season home games. The Cowboys remain the NFL's most valuable franchise at $11 billion in Forbes' latest valuation, driven in part by non-football revenue streams tied to the stadium.
AT&T's willingness to extend without a public tender process suggests the deal carries strategic value beyond pure media impressions. The carrier operates significant fiber and 5G infrastructure across the Dallas-Fort Worth market, where the Cowboys function as a civic anchor. Naming rights also provide negotiating leverage in broader sponsorship conversations: AT&T holds additional inventory inside the stadium, including club branding and connectivity partnerships. The Cowboys, meanwhile, avoid the risk of a naming-rights gap or a lower bid in a volatile telecom sector where carriers have pulled back on sports spending elsewhere. Verizon, for instance, declined to renew its NFL sponsorship in 2022 after 11 years, redirecting capital toward direct-to-consumer streaming.
The timing also matters for the Cowboys' broader commercial calendar. The team is negotiating a new apparel deal after Nike's current contract expires in 2025, and sponsors watch how the franchise manages its marquee assets. A seamless naming-rights renewal signals stability to other partners sizing long-term commitments. It also keeps the stadium's financial performance opaque: because the Cowboys self-finance most operations and Jerry Jones controls the entity that owns the building, neither AT&T nor the franchise is required to disclose exact figures. That opacity benefits both sides when competitors or activists scrutinize sports marketing ROI.
Watch whether AT&T announces incremental activation around the extension—new 5G installations, exclusive in-stadium connectivity offers, or co-branded experiences tied to Cowboys content. The franchise typically layers product announcements onto partnership renewals to justify the spend internally. Also watch how this deal influences the next wave of NFL naming rights. The Bears' new stadium proposal in Chicago and the Titans' upcoming venue in Nashville will test whether $30 million annual floors hold in secondary markets. AT&T's decision to stay in Arlington, rather than force a rebid, suggests the company values continuity over chasing a headline discount.
The Cowboys open the 2025 season on September 7. AT&T's logo remains on the building until at least 2030, and likely beyond.