News hot off the press today – the famous Delta Center name is coming back to downtown Salt Lake City, after more than a fifteen year absence. This July will see Delta Airlines take over the naming rights to the famous home of the Utah Jazz; not least hundreds of other events throughout the year.
The airline (the official Jazz airline of course) was the original name above the door when the arena opened way back in 1991. In recent years the stadium has been known as Vivant Arena (pictured above).
Here’s the full press release from Delta:
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The Delta Center is coming back to Utah. The global airline will assume the naming rights for Utah’s premier sports and entertainment center – which is home to the Utah Jazz and more than 320 evenings of events each year – effective July 2023 as part of a multi-year partnership between the two organizations.
This agreement is a homecoming for Delta, harkening back to the arena’s original opening in 1991 when the airline held the naming rights as part of its first sponsorship with the NBA franchise. Within the long-term agreement, Delta will serve as the Official Airline of the Utah Jazz, adding to its current role as an Official Community Partner of the team. Delta will also hold numerous sponsorship and branding rights with the team, including media, hospitality and employee engagement extensions.
Delta and the Utah Jazz will continue partnering to support community programs across the state where nearly 5,000 Delta people currently live, work and serve.
“Today we celebrate a new chapter in the longstanding history between Delta, the Utah Jazz and the Salt Lake City community,” said Delta CEO Ed Bastian. “The homecoming of the Delta Center represents a continued investment and dedication to Salt Lake City, and together we will provide a leading sports and entertainment experience to the city and Jazz fans worldwide.”
“I have so many amazing memories of the Delta Center as a kid, and I know that countless people throughout Utah and beyond had similar experiences creating core memories there, whether watching the Olympics & Paralympic Winter Games, the NBA Finals, concerts, and other incredible events,” said Ryan Smith, owner of the Utah Jazz and chairman of Smith Entertainment Group. “We are excited to partner with Ed Bastian and the entire Delta team to not only bring back the arena’s original name, but also leverage the amazing work Delta is doing to provide incredible experiences for the people of our state and help show the world how amazing Utah is.”
Check out the following video recapping the new naming: