Sphere, the new arena which recently opened in Las Vegas, has been unveiled as the new jersey patch sponsor of NBA basketball team the New York Knicks.
The deal has been agreed between Madison Square Garden Sports Corp (MSG Sports), the parent company of the Knicks, and Sphere Entertainment, which operates the Sphere. Both companies are owned by James Dolan.
The agreement begins today (Wednesday) as the Knicks take on the Boston Celtics at Madison Square Garden. The Sphere logo will feature on all Knicks game jerseys during home and away games, as well as practice jerseys, warm-up shirts, and replica jerseys.
Sphere Entertainment was formerly known as Madison Square Garden Entertainment Corp. Dolan serves as executive chairman and chief executive of both Sphere Entertainment and MSG Sports.
David Hopkinson, president and chief operating officer of MSG Sports, said: “The MSG family of companies has an unrivalled portfolio of premium assets, and we are committed to ensuring that the strength of our brands and unique global reach continue to benefit one another in powerful ways.
“This pairing brings together two globally recognised brands – a revolutionary new venue that is literally changing the way people experience live entertainment, and one of the most recognised franchises in professional sports – to create an innovative partnership at the intersection of sports and entertainment.”
The 18,600-capacity Sphere opened on September 29 with the first of 36 performances from U2. The Sphere Experience, a two-part multi-sensory experience featuring director Darren Aronofsky’s Postcard from Earth, debuted on October 6.
The Populous-designed facility has been built at a cost of $2.3bn (£1.9bn/€2.2bn) and has been praised for its eye-catching visuals. The venue’s 580,000-square-foot programmable LED Exosphere exterior is the largest LED screen in the world.
The Knicks did not have a jersey sponsor last season. The team previously had a deal with website hosting and building company Squarespace.
