Christopher BarrettOak View Group (OVG) has announced Bristol Street Motors as the latest founding partner of its 23,500-capacity Co-op Live arena, which is currently being built in Manchester.
The deal means the automotive retailer will have naming rights to a 4,000-capacity venue within Co-op Live, currently referred to as The Street.
The £350 million Co-op Live venue, located next to Manchester City football club’s Etihad Stadium in the Eastlands area of Manchester, is expected to open in 2023.
OVG said The Street space, which will include a 22m long bar along with a food market, will act as the “heartbeat” of the venue and will be a destination in its own right.
Bristol Street Motors will have branding and marketing rights in The Street, including being able to showcase vehicles and use the space for its own events.
OVG said the car company has agreed to provide a number of co-branded electric vehicles for use by artists, guests, and executive staff to serve the venue’s transportation needs sustainably.
OVG International co-chair Jessica Koravos said, “We’re on track to open Co-op Live in 2023, and we’ve already assembled a really impressive team of partners, with Bristol Street Motors the latest to join. The project is gaining real momentum and I’m looking forward to working together with all our partners to create a truly global venue in Manchester.”
US-based OVG was formed in 2015 by former AEG CEO Tim Leiweke and former chairman of Live Nation Entertainment and artiste manager Irving Azoff.