Bankers Life Fieldhouse To Get New Name After Deal Expires In '19

Indiana-based CNO Financial Group will "not extend its partnership with Pacers Sports & Entertainment" once its naming-rights contract is up in June '19, meaning Bankers Life Fieldhouse will "soon get yet another name," according to Dakota Crawford of the INDIANAPOLIS STAR. CNO Financial Group CEO Edward Bonach yesterday said that the partnership "would continue, but in a more limited capacity." When the deal was initially struck between the Pacers and Conseco, formerly the name of CNO, in April '98, a source "estimated the price tag" at $2M per year for the 20-year contract. The deal included $55M "more for a separate sponsorship, bringing the total commitment" to $95M. These agreements have "only become more lucrative since" (INDIANAPOLIS STAR, 3/14). Bankers Life Fieldhouse is home to the Pacers, WNBA Fever and "more than 600 events annually" (IBJ.com, 3/13).