Newcastle United have named David Hopkinson as the club's new CEO with Darren Eales set to depart
A general view inside the revamped Estadio Santiago Bernabeu. (Photo by Angel Martinez/Getty Images)
Newcastle United have finally announced David Hopkinson as the club's new CEO with Darren Eales set to leave the club on September 5. The outgoing Magpies chief is stepping down for health reasons with the former Real Madrid Global Head of Partnerships, from 2018-2020, making the move to St. James' Park.
Speaking after his appointment at Newcastle, Hopkinson said: "I am incredibly honoured to join Newcastle United at such an exciting time in the club's history. This club represents something truly special. It has extraordinary history and heritage, incredibly passionate supporters, and ownership, players and staff who are committed to excellence.
"Having worked with iconic teams across different countries, I understand what it takes to build sustainable success at the highest levels of global sport. I greatly admire what has been achieved by the club so far, and I am excited and motivated by what is ahead as we strive to position Newcastle United among the world's elite clubs."
So, what do we know about the incoming Newcastle United CEO and what does his time at Real Madrid show us? Chronicle Live has everything you need to know below...
Hopkinson's journey to date
The 54-year-old brings a wealth of experience to Tyneside having operated at the top level of global sports for over three decades. Hopkinson spent two decades as Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment operating as Chief Commercial Officer, overseeing commercial activities for the NHL's Toronto Maple Leafs and the NBA's Toronto Raptors.
He joins the Magpies from Madison Square Garden Sports where he served as President and Chief Operating Officer in the United States. Hopkinson led the business operations of the New York Knicks and New York Rangers, two of the most valuable franchises in the National Basketball Association and National Hockey League respectively, playing at the Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Newcastle United board appraisal
Newcastle United chairman, Yasir Al-Rumayyan, heaped praise on the new executive who has a proven track record across world sport. The Magpies chief said: "We are delighted to welcome David to Newcastle United. David is an outstanding executive whose track record across global sport and entertainment speaks for itself.
"His experience and strategic capabilities will be invaluable as we continue to build on the club's presence locally and grow it globally on and off the pitch. David's leadership will be critical as we build upon what we have already achieved since the acquisition towards an exciting future and sustainable success.
"I would like to personally thank Darren Eales for his exceptional work and leadership, as well as his friendship, over the last three years."
Yasir Al-Rumayyan chairman of Newcastle United (centre) and co-owner Jamie Reuben were in attendance for the defeat against Liverpool.
Director Jamie Reuben added: "David's arrival as CEO comes at a crucial time for the club and I am confident that he will prove to be an excellent fit for the role. He brings a wealth of experience in leadership positions at some of the biggest names in world sport, with an incredibly strong foundation to build upon."
St James' Park sponsorship hints
Much of the discourse surrounding Newcastle United in recent years has centred around PSR and how the club can maximise money coming into the club, in order to transform the squad on the pitch. Building a new stadium and the redevelopment of St. James' Park are two of the possible avenues the club could explore.
Times have changed, but there was a notable backlash when Mike Ashley changed the name of St. James' Park to the Sports Direct Arena, though there was little ambition from the former Newcastle owner to compete for top honours like the current regime.
There's nothing immediate to suggest Newcastle's owners would rename their current home, but getting sponsorship for the stadium would also be a major boost in terms of PSR. Which is where Hopkinson's expertise at Real Madrid might come into play.
It was during his time at Maple Leaf Sport & Entertainment, where Hopkinson was responsible for signing one of the biggest naming deals in the history of North American Sport when the Air Canada Centre was renamed Scotiabank Arena. In an interview with Marca, the former Loc Blancos Global Head of Partnerships was asked about renaming the stadium and gave a pretty emphatic response.
"I think anything is possible, but we are not working on that right now," he said. "My personal view is that we have an extraordinary set of revenue opportunities that don't involve changing the name of the stadium.
"I'm not sure if putting a corporate name on would be the right thing, in fact it would probably be the wrong thing. There are certain venues around the world that are so iconic, such as ours, Old Trafford, Madison Square Garden, they won't benefit from a corporate name. My belief is that Estadio Santiago Bernabeu is one of those."
Real Madrid legacy
Newcastle know there are a number of business facets that they must improve, with the Magpies bringing in £50.1million from matchday revenue in 2023-24, half of the average amount brought in by the Premier League 'Big Six' who averaged £105.3m. Los Blancos, playing out of a renovated Bernabeu, brought in a staggering £210m.
The new Magpies CEO will have to be creative in order to bolster the Toon's coffers, but raising season-ticket prices again would likely cause a stir. He'll have to be creative and knows Newcastle need transforming in that regard.
In the same interview with Marca, Hopkinson was asked what he'd like to be remembered for upon leaving Madrid and said: "This is a pivotal moment in the organisation as we are in the middle of transforming the roster right now, we are in the middle of transforming the business, we are also transforming the stadium and stadium experience.
"I think five years from now we will have a club and a business that's quite different from the one we have today, in a different home and doing things in a different way. And I would like to be remembered as one of the architects that helped making that a success."
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