An announcement at the home of the Buffalo Sabres today revealed that the namesake of the 19,000-plus seat hockey arena will remain the same for the next decade. Standing in the lobby of KeyBank Center in downtown Buffalo, KeyBank CEO Chris Gorman and Buffalo Bills and Sabres owner Terry Pegula shook hands on a deal that will extend the building's naming rights until 2036. The deal also cements KeyBank as the official away helmet sponsor for the Buffalo Sabres.
Pegula said the deal reflects a commitment to bring more events to the downtown site, something that has been prevalent since KeyBank acquired naming rights of the building in 2016.
"This year, we have approximately 140 events planned for this arena. I can tell you that historically, that number was around 120 events,” Pegula said. “The plan in our organization is to increase that to 200 events a year, which will even give this arena more exposure.”
Attending the announcement were various Western New York officials, including Acting Buffalo Mayor Chris Scanlon and Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz, the latter of whom highlighted how KeyBank Center fits into the economic health of Erie County.
“It's not just helping this region out, this immediate area. It’s about sales tax,” Poloncarz said. “Sales tax is important because every community in Erie County shares the sales tax that's generated here. It's not just going to Erie County. It's not just going to New York State. Erie County shares 48% of the sales tax that is generated locally, and I think that's important to know.”
When Poloncarz was asked about renovations to the 28-year-old site, as well as its expiring lease, the county executive said those conversations will happen, but the focus remains on getting the new Bills stadium in Orchard Park operational first.
