EVERETT — The city’s iconic entertainment arena has a new name: Comcast Arena at Everett.
The abbreviated name rolls off the tongue easier than its clunky predecessor: Comcast Arena at the Everett Events Center.
“We don’t have to take a big breath now before we pick up the phone,” said Kim Bedier, general manager of the arena, conference center and ice rink in downtown Everett.
The name change was effective Friday.
The Philadelphia-based cable giant Comcast Corp. got naming rights to the arena last summer in a 10-year deal that’s worth $7.4 million in cash and advertising.
Some people said they were disappointed Everett Events Center sold its name to a corporation, but selling naming rights to the arena was always part of the city’s plan to help pay for the public facility.
Comcast Arena at Everett is set to celebrate its fifth anniversary this fall with a lineup of events including Ringling Bros. and Barnum &Bailey Circus, Rock Band Live and the 2008 Skate America competition.
The building is managed by Global Spectrum, a Comcast subsidiary, and overseen by the Everett Public Facilities District, a municipal corporation governed by a five-member board of directors.
The arena is also home to the Western Hockey League’s Everett Silvertips.
Reporter David Chircop: 425-339-3429 or dchircop@heraldnet.com.
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