Kingston’s flagship arena is poised to switch names this summer.
Rogers K-Rock is giving up its 10 year hold on naming rights to the downtown sports and entertainment centre.
Instead, the owners of the Princess Street Leon’s store have offered to put their name on the arena. If approved by council, the arena will be called the Leon’s Centre for at least the next five years.
Owners of Kingston Leon’s store to purchase downtown arena naming rights for average price of $277,000 a year over 10 years
“The discussion with Leon’s continued to develop over the last few months and has resulted in the recommended naming rights sponsor,” according to a staff report by community services commissioner Lanie Hurdle.
SMG, which manages the arena on the city’s behalf, was given the responsibility of securing a new naming rights sponsor.
SMG says the naming rights opportunity was pitched to over 100 companies, noting “serious discussions” began with unidentified financial institutions and one retail company, Leon’s.
City staff say the deal was closed April 13 when a letter of intent was signed with Leon’s Furniture Limited, represented locally by McKercher Kingston Ltd., “to rename the venue to the ‘Leon’s Centre’ for a total of $257,500 per year, with Consumer Price Index adjustments commencing in year two.”
The naming rights would run from July 1, 2018 to June 30, 2023 with an option to renew for another five years.
“This naming rights revenue is higher than the amount included and assumed in the operational budget,” added Hurdle.
City officials say the arena will collect over one quarter of a million dollars a year, once inflation is factored in, from Leon’s. “The total ten year average is $277,106 per year, which represents an increase in the current yearly average contribution from Rogers of $190,000.”
Here’s a sample of what other arenas collect per year for their naming rights
The Leon’s logo will soon be splashed outside and inside the venue at 1 The Tragically Hip Way. Here are some other perks Leon’s will get through the sponsorship deal;
- signage rights for the Centre including exterior venue signage, exterior digital sign, concourse, menu boards, scoreboard, wayfinding and pillar wraps,
- 2 suite licenses for the length of the term,
- 4 complimentary tickets to all non-primary tenant events,
- 4 family skating events per year presented by the sponsor,
- 8 days per year rent free use of the facility for charity events,
- Ticketmaster advertising and on-site activation to promote shows at sponsor venues,
- highly visible presence across all Centre’s social media platforms.
Terms of the contract were expected to be approved by council May 1, based on a staff recommendation.
It marks only the second name change in the arena’s history. K-Rock radio has been attached to the venue since it opened in February 2008. In March 2013, council approved the name change to Rogers K-Rock Centre after a request from Rogers Broadcasting Limited to incorporate the ‘Rogers’ brand to reflect their corporate identity.
