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COLUMBUS, Ohio - The Columbus Crew and Scotts Miracle-Gro Company (NYSE:SMG) announced Tuesday a multi-year stadium naming rights agreement that will rename the MLS team’s downtown venue as ScottsMiracle-Gro Field beginning with the 2026 season. The deal comes as SMG, with a market capitalization of $3.07 billion, seeks to strengthen its brand visibility despite facing a 32% stock price decline over the past year.
The agreement expands a partnership between the organizations that has spanned more than 15 years. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Marysville, Ohio-based ScottsMiracle-Gro has previously served as the Crew’s Official Lawn Care & Gardening Partner, supplying products to maintain the team’s natural grass playing surfaces.
"ScottsMiracle-Gro and the Crew share a deep passion for our fans, our sport and Central Ohio that perfectly reflects how we strive to represent our Club and our city through the global game," said Columbus Crew President of Business Operations Mary Sherpo in a press release statement.
The downtown stadium, which opened in 2021, has hosted numerous major events including the 2024 MLS All-Star Game, U.S. Men’s National Team matches, and the 2024 SheBelieves Cup. The Crew recently completed a club-record streak of 35 consecutive MLS regular season sellouts from 2023-2025.
As part of the expanded partnership, ScottsMiracle-Gro will become a Presenting Partner of the Crew’s Soccer in Schools program, which provides free educational resources to local school districts. The program, formally launched in 2025, offers physical education teachers a turnkey youth soccer model.
"We know everything is better when you can play and gather on natural grass. For years we’ve helped the Crew play on one of the premier grass surfaces in sports," said John Sass, SVP of the company’s Scotts brand lawns business. With annual revenue of $3.41 billion and a P/E ratio of 21.44, SMG is among the 1,400+ US equities covered by comprehensive InvestingPro Research Reports that transform complex financial data into actionable intelligence.
The Columbus Crew, founded as an original Major League Soccer club, has won three MLS Cups (2008, 2020, 2023), one U.S. Open Cup (2002), three Supporters’ Shield titles, the 2021 Campeones Cup and the 2024 Leagues Cup.
In other recent news, Scotts Miracle-Gro reported its fourth-quarter earnings for 2025, slightly surpassing earnings expectations with an earnings per share (EPS) of -$1.96, compared to the forecast of -$1.97. However, the company’s revenue fell short of projections, coming in at $387.4 million against the expected $396.2 million. Stifel upgraded Scotts Miracle-Gro’s stock rating from Hold to Buy, highlighting expectations for the company to achieve margin expansion comparable to its consumer staples peers. Jefferies also adjusted its price target for Scotts Miracle-Gro, raising it to $74.00 from $71.00, while maintaining a Buy rating, attributing this to a shift in the company’s marketing strategy. Additionally, Scotts Miracle-Gro announced a new form of restricted stock unit award notice for certain employees, including named executive officers, under its Long-Term Incentive Plan. This change was disclosed in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission and is part of the company’s ongoing compensation and incentive programs. These developments reflect the company’s strategic initiatives and product innovations aimed at driving future growth.
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