The Cincinnati Bengals and Hamilton County have reached a preliminary agreement that will keep the NFL franchise at Paycor Stadium through at least June 2036 and fund $470 million in upgrades to the 24-year-old venue. The county’s board of commissioners approved the framework on Thursday by a 2–0 vote, with one abstention, days before a June 30 deadline tied to the team’s expiring lease. Under the deal, Hamilton County will cap its contribution at $350 million, while the Bengals and the NFL will supply the remaining $120 million through the league’s G-5 loan program. The new lease begins with the 2025 season, replaces the agreement signed in 1997, and includes five two-year extension options that could keep the team in Cincinnati until 2046. Both sides said they will pursue additional state funding for the project. The renovation plan, scaled back from earlier proposals that topped $830 million, targets club lounges, suites, concessions and video boards and is expected to take two to three years. For the first time, the Bengals will pay rent—$1 million annually for the first three years, rising to $2 million thereafter—and the county will be able to contract a third party to book concerts and other non-NFL events at the riverfront stadium. Bengals executive vice president Katie Blackburn hailed the agreement as “a significant day for the Bengals and Hamilton County,” while Commissioner Denise Driehaus said the capped funding limits taxpayer exposure compared with the original lease. Final documents are being drafted, but Thursday’s vote removes the immediate threat that the team could relocate if a new deal was not in place.