A Hartford, Connecticut arena has officially ditched its former name amid a naming rights deal with the Oak View Group.
Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont announced the news earlier this month alongside officials from PeoplesBank, OVG, and the Capital Region Development Authority, revealing that the XL Center would now be named PeoplesBank Arena.
The arena first opened its doors in 1975 as the Harford Civic Center and became the XL Center under a naming rights deal with XL Group in 2007. It has hosted games for both men’s and women’s UConn basketball, as well as UConn men’s hockey, the Hartford Whalers, and Hartford Wolf Pack, as well as hundreds of concerts.
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Thomas Senecal, chairman and CEO of PeoplesBank, noted in a statement that “we’re proud to share that this iconic venue — long known as the Hartford Civic Center, and more recently the XL Center — will now carry a new name: the PeoplesBank Arena.”
“This is more than a naming rights agreement,” Senecal said. “This is a statement about who we are and who we are now.”
The naming rights agreement, facilitated by OVG Global Partnerships, is valued at $20 million over 10 years. The deal arrives amid a $145 million renovation of the arena, which OVG has spearheaded and is contributing $20 million towards the project.
“This is going to be the heart and center of what we’re trying to do with Hartford’s revitalization,” Gov. Lamont said. “You’ll see a lot more activity here, much more frequently and much more housing around the region as well.”
Sports fans can expect to see Hartford Wolf Pack, UConn Men’s and Women’s Basketball, and UConn Hockey at the PeoplesBank Arena. Additionally, the venue will host concerts and entertainment events; this year; already, the legendary rocker Stevie Nicks is set to take the stage in October, followed by comedian Bert Kreischer in November, and the iconic classical singer Andrea Bocelli in December.
Find a full list of the PeoplesBank upcoming calendar here.
