UK-headquartered fintech company IG Group has acquired naming rights to the new 17,000-seat arena that is being developed in Nagoya, Japan.
Previously known as Aichi Arena, the 10-year deal, which has been heralded as ushering in a new era of corporate partnerships in Japan, has been agreed between IG, Aichi International Arena Company and venue operator AEG.
The agreement is said to mark one of the largest naming rights agreements in Japan and the Asia Pacific region. Once the IG Arena opens in the summer of 2025, it will be one of the biggest entertainment facilities in the country and has been designed to accommodate multiple types of sports, music, and family events.
Located in the heart of Nagoya, the five-story IG Arena will contain a ‘hybrid oval’ bowl that seeks to combine the features of both an oval and horseshoe bowl style, enabling it to host multiple types of sports and music events.
Additionally, the arena is due to be the main indoor venue for the 2026 Asian Games and Asian Para Games, which will be co-hosted by the Aichi Prefecture and the City of Nagoya.
Tomoharu Furuichi, Japan country head for IG, said: “This partnership is the perfect opportunity for us to drive awareness for our brand and marks a key step toward growing our market share in Japan, which is one of the fastest growing regions for online trading.
“The announcement also underscores our commitment to the Japanese market and our focus on investing in and delivering best-in-class technologies and platforms. With deep rooted ties to Japan, we share a commitment with Aichi International Arena Company, the local government and AEG to delivering innovation and excellence and believe that IG Arena will mark a new chapter for both fans and the city of Nagoya.”
Established in April 2021, the Aichi International Arena Company group is headed by Maeda Corporation and NTT Docomo, as well as Anschutz Sports Holdings (AEG), Sumitomo Mitsui Finance and Leasing, Tokyu Corporation, Chubu-Nippon Broadcasting and Development Bank of Japan. The arena has been designed by Kengo Kuma & Associates.
“It was important to us to find a partner who was an innovative leader that shared our ambitions for Nagoya and our vision to transform live events for Japanese fans,” said Tokuji Sagi, CEO and president of Aichi International Arena Corporation.
“Delivering new consumer services to the market and a state-of-the-art fan experience will be at the heart of what we do at the arena. IG Group’s commitment to redefining investment tools for consumers makes them the ideal naming rights partner and we are proud to have them join us on the journey.”
The naming rights agreement was brokered by AEG Global Partnerships. It marks the company’s second naming rights agreement in the region in less than 12 months, the first being UOB Live, which was signed in August.
AEG Global Partnerships also announced today (Friday) that Bacardi and Volvo have signed deals to become the first founding partners at UOB Live, Bangkok’s new 6,000-capacity live entertainment venue.
Both will have a large-scale brand presence and partnerships across the venue when it opens on Sunday, with Bacardi becoming the exclusive beverage partner and Volvo the exclusive automotive partner.
