Verizon, which has committed to Amazon’s pledge, could become a tech partner at the renovated arenaOAK VIEW GROUP
Amazon’s decision to buy the naming rights to the future home of the NHL Seattle franchise and commit the Climate Pledge Arena name to a “social cause might be a first” with any major North American sports facility, according to a front-page piece by Geoff Baker of the SEATTLE TIMES. Talks between Amazon and arena operator Oak View Group “began roughly a year ago, and though naming rights were discussed with additional suitors, Amazon kept rising to the forefront.” NHL Seattle CEO Tod Leiweke said, “We were talking about Amazon and talked about community. And they came back and said, ‘Look, the No. 1 community cause for us and what we believe in most is climate and [Jeff Bezos’] commitment to the Climate Pledge.’ And we came away inspired.” Baker notes after “years of criticism that Amazon was a laggard in disclosing its climate impacts and taking action commensurate with its size and stature,” Bezos, the company’s Founder, announced the Climate Pledge last September. Speculation is that Verizon “will become a technology partner at the renovated arena … and other OVG-developed sports properties nationwide.” Verizon already committed to Amazon’s pledge, which “should make an arena partnership with OVG easier to logistically implement" (SEATTLE TIMES, 6/26).
BEZOS CREDITED WITH IDEA: OVG CEO Tim Leiweke indicated that the name “was Bezos’ idea, with the motivation being to make the building a testament to addressing global warming and sustainability, as opposed to a straightforward corporate naming relationship.” Leiweke added that there is an “agreement to commit $100 million to charities focused on sustainability and ecology in the coming years.” THE ATHLETIC’s Scott Burnside noted the 18,100-seat arena is “expected to host about 200 events a year” and should be “ready for the start of the NHL’s 2021-22 season … despite some delays from the COVID-19 pandemic” (THEATHLETIC.com, 6/25). Leiweke predicted this is “going to be a transformative moment in our industry." He said, “We spent a lot of time trying to figure it out, and get through the complications to pull it off. It wasn't easy. But to the credit of Jeff Bezos and Amazon, they said, 'We'll act like a naming rights partner, but let's do this the right way. I don't need any more branding. What I need is to go save the planet.' It was brilliant" (ESPN.com, 6/25).
