Christopher BarrettO2 has signed a 10-year naming rights sponsorship agreement with The Odyssey Trust that will see SSE Arena Belfast rebranded The O2 Belfast.
The deal will see a new O2 Blueroom opened in the 11,200-capacity arena, while O2’s customers will be given exclusive access to ticket pre-sales for all shows at the venue, 48 hours before general release. It also extends to O2 becoming the principal partner and shirt sponsor of the venue’s home ice hockey team the Belfast Giants.
The Odyssey Trust, the charity established to oversee the management and development of Northern Ireland’s largest arena, did not disclose details of the financial package but said the new partnership will be effective from 1 July.
AEG Global Partnerships president Paul Samuels was integral to the creation of the £6 million-per-year naming rights deal for London’s The O2 arena in 2005 when he was head of sponsorship at O2. O2’s involvement in live entertainment venues has expanded ever since, and this latest deal will see The O2 Belfast join O2’s venue portfolio of 21 UK venues including O2 Academy Brixton, O2 Shepherd’s Bush Empire, O2 Academy Glasgow, and O2 Apollo Manchester.
As part of the deal, Virgin Media O2 said it will transform connectivity at the venue by deploying its own fibre network, doubling the existing capacity, introducing O2 WiFi, and rolling out 5G coverage for O2 customers in the arena later this summer.
Virgin Media O2 director of partnerships and sponsorship Gareth Griffiths said, “Live music and entertainment is in O2’s DNA and we couldn’t be more excited to have a new home in Northern Ireland. With The Odyssey Trust, we look forward to connecting visitors, enhancing the live experience and leveraging the power of O2’s network and benefits of Priority for our customers, at the largest arena in Northern Ireland. We can’t wait to welcome you to The O2 Belfast in July.”