#AEG Seals Naming-Rights Deal for New Arena in Japan

A 17,000-seat arena under construction in Nagoya, Japan, will be known as IG Arena after Los Angeles-based sports and entertainment giant AEG reached a naming-rights deal with online trading and investment company IG Group, it was announced Thursday.

The 10-year partnership marks one of the largest naming-rights agreements in Japan and the Asia-Pacific region, officials said.

When it opens next year, the five-story IG Arena will be one of the biggest entertainment facilities in Japan. It will feature a “hybrid oval” bowl that combines an oval- and horseshoe-bowl style, enabling it to host multiple types of sports, music and family events.

The building will serve as the home of the 2026 Asian Games and Asian Para Games, co-hosted by the Aichi prefecture and the city of Nagoya.

“This transformative partnership is all about the future,” AEG executive vp global partnerships Paul Samuels said in a statement. “It not only will usher in a new era of live entertainment for Nagoya and Japan, but it also marks a key step in delivering world-class events to the market.”

IG Group, established in 1974 with headquarters in the U.K., offers clients access to 19,000 financial markets worldwide. It trades on the London Stock Exchange.

In other AEG news, UOB LIVE, the 6,000-capacity live entertainment venue in Bangkok that is set to open Feb. 11 with an Ed Sheeran concert, has added Bacardi and Volvo Car Thailand as its first founding partners.

Bacardi will be the venue’s exclusive beverage partner and Volvo its exclusive automotive partner. Both will have a brand presence and partnership activations with custom signage and exposure on digital displays and social media platforms.

UOB LIVE is on the sixth floor of the EmSphere shopping mall, which also has dining options and other entertainment spaces. The venue is being developed by AEG, The Mall Group and Asian bank UOB.

Last month, Crypto.com Arena owner AEG unveiled a long-term deal with Uber for the naming rights to its high-profile Berlin properties now known as the Mercedes-Benz Arena, the Verti Music Hall and the Mercedes Platz entertainment district.