The Bellevue-based mobile phone company announced Thursday that the new 20,000-seat sports and entertainment arena set to open in April just west of the Las Vegas strip — behind New York-New York — will be called T-Mobile Arena.
As more than 150,000 people spend the week at CES 2016 in Las Vegas, hitting convention floors full of technology ranging from the latest Chevy Bolt, Sony TV and Samsung refrigerator to an app that tells where it OK to fly drones, Bellevue-based T-Mobile was in Vegas for a completely different reason.
The Bellevue-based mobile phone company announced Thursday that the new 20,000-seat sports and entertainment arena set to open in April just west of the Las Vegas strip — behind New York-New York — will be called T-Mobile Arena.
The $375 million arena is a joint venture with MGM Resorts International and AEG. It will host more than 100 events annually, including UFC, boxing and other sporting events, concerts, awards shows and special events, according to a release.
The terms of the deal, including how much T-Mobile paid and how long the company will have the naming rights, were not disclosed.
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“T-Mobile Arena will have the biggest shows in a town known for big shows and T-Mobile customers will always be treated like VIPs with priority access and exclusive benefits,” COO Mike Sievert said in a statement.
The company said T-Mobile customers will get unique benefits like a dedicated fast-track VIP venue entrance at every event. At select events, they can access event tickets and premium VIP experiences reserved exclusively for T-Mobile customers, pre-sales and seat upgrade opportunities.
The venue will have some exclusive VIP experiences, including the Hyde Lounge, a nightclub with views of all action below.
Events already confirmed for the arena’s opening season include The Killers in April, UFC 200 in July, Harlem Globetrotters, George Strait, Garth Brooks, Dixie Chicks, Janet Jackson, UNLV/Duke college basketball, and the 2016 Professional Bull Riders World Finals.
T-Mobile does not have naming rights on any other arenas or stadiums, but during CES in 2013 the company did announce a “multi-year, multi-million dollar partnership” to become the official wireless sponsor of Major League Baseball.