London Eye Gets New Name

By · January 7, 2011 at 11:45 am · 8 Comments · Latest News · Report an error ·
London Eye

Image by M@

London’s most spokey landmark has a new name. From late January, the giant wheel on the South Bank will be officially known as the EDF Energy London Eye. Maybe we’ll call it the EEL Eye for short.

The new branding heralds a new sponsor. Erstwhile financiers BA withdrew some time ago. Merlin then took ownership, and the wheel became the Merlin Entertainments London Eye. Although Merlin will continue to run the attraction, new sponsor EDF will get naming rights after a two-week maintenance closure that starts tomorrow. They’ve managed to squeeze together a reported £8 million sponsorship package to finance the three-year deal.

Kudos to Laura at About.com’s London pages, who scooped the BBC with the news.

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  • http://www.flickr.com/photos/murphyzmike/ murphyz

    Looks like there will be lots of photo re-tagging to do – agreed that EEL Eye is a little more catchy. Honestly though I think I still refer to it as the Millennium Wheel!

  • Some guy

    I was holding out for “Wheely McSpin”. Maybe next time.

  • Some guy

    I was holding out for “Wheely McSpin”. Maybe next time.

  • http://twitter.com/AboutLondon Laura Porter

    Thanks for the credit. I still think Wagon Wheels should sponsor the Eye. ;-)

  • http://twitter.com/eyetie Franco Milazzo

    >>The London Eye gets through identities quicker than Dr Who. Its fourth name in 11 years is announced today.

    Pedants’ note: there have been three Doctors in five seasons (four if you include the film).

  • Colin Bodger

    Groan mode

    Well as long as it isn’t taken as part of EEL Pie Island !! or would that be EEL p eye island?

    Taken on as a children song? The wheel on the thames goes round and round?

    I’ll stop here else Typhoo may sponsor a golfing event and call it the Tee Cup!!

    /Groan mode

  • Jguk

    It’s not really being renamed though is it. It’s still the London Eye – just with a different sponsor tag. Whoever said “i’m off to the Merlin Entertainments/British Airways London Eye today”

  • http://pulse.yahoo.com/_WLCRDHGGBXXQ2FE7MNBQWD3PWM Ogie Morten

    The EEL Eye is okay, but I known that wheel for it’s name London Eye…
    http://livinginthesun.info/portugal/

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