The Buffalo Sabres, of North American ice hockey's NHL, have extended their major commercial tie-up with the KeyBank US regional bank, through which the team's home stadium will continue to be known as KeyBank Center.
A 10-year stadium naming rights agreement between the two parties was unveiled earlier this week, beginning next season (after the current tie-up ends) and running through the 2035-26 NHL campaign.
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In addition to renewing the stadium naming rights element, the KeyBank name will feature on the Sabres' match helmets during away games, in the upcoming 2025-26 campaign.
The initial deal between the Sabres and KeyBank began in 2016, after the firm had bought out the First Niagara bank, which had held naming rights for the five previous seasons.
GlobalData Sport has valued the deal between the two parties struck nine years ago at $37.5 million in total.
In terms of the venue itself, it opened in 1996 and is currently undergoing a wave of reconstruction work, including the roof being replaced last year, and the addition of a new video scoreboard.
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By GlobalDataPete Guelli, the Sabres' chief operating officer, said: "Our goal is to make sure this team is here long term and well situated. We think this building is a catalyst for growth in downtown Buffalo. That’s why we’re trying to program as many nights a year [of stadium use] as we possibly can.”
The Sabres finished seventh (second from bottom) in the Atlantic division of the NHL's Eastern conference in the 2024-25 campaign, thus missing out on the post-season playoffs for the 14th successive season.
KeyBank has its headquarters in the northeast in Buffalo, operating 59 branches in total in the city.
