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SALT LAKE CITY — The home of the Utah Jazz has a new name.
The former "Delta Center" and "EnergySolutions Arena" will be renamed the "Vivint Smart Home Arena", Larry H. Miller Sports and Entertainment announced Monday. The agreement is for 10 years.
Vivint is the third naming rights sponsor for the building, which was completed in 1991. Delta Air Lines was the building's first sponsor, signing a 15-year contract with Miller.
In 2006, with the company just a year removed from filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, Delta chose not to renew the naming contract. Instead, rights were sold to EnergySolutions.
That sponsorship was a controversial one. Many fans disliked the name and associating the Utah Jazz and the property with nuclear waste. LHMSE chose to end the agreement one year early when it learned that EnergySolutions wasn't interested in renewing its deal.
At that point, LHMSE made formal informational presentations to approximately 10 companies in June. Vivint became the frontrunner in the summer, and the deal was finalized in September.
Vivint is a home technology provider, founded in 1999 in Provo, Utah. According to the company, Vivint now employs nearly 7,000 people and has nearly 1 million customers.
"The Utah Jazz and the arena are proud to have Vivint as our new naming rights partner," said LHMSE President Steve Starks. "Vivint is a long-time supporter of the Jazz, is a Utah-based company, and has a deep commitment to the community and our fans. These were all qualities we looked for when we began this process."
Vivint CEO Todd Pedersen chimed in as well.
"This agreement extends far beyond a typical 'logo-on-the-building' arrangement – it's a true partnership built around innovation, community impact and the drive to elevate the prominence of Utah."
The additional facets of the deal, beyond the name change, include a mock "smart home" on the concourse of the arena, some integration of Vivint's technology into the arena's luxury suites, and "upgraded security and automation technology" at the basketball facilities.
Vivint's wi-fi solution isn't set up to provide access to thousands of fans at once yet, but upgraded in-arena wi-fi will be considered.
Vivint and LHMSE officials know that the full name of the stadium, Vivint Smart Home Stadium, is somewhat of a mouthful, but Vivint felt it was important to add the "Smart Home" portion of the name in order to effectively introduce their company to a national audience.
The team plans on using the full name in all media. "It's one more word, but two less syllables than EnergySolutions Arena," Starks said. "In terms of flow, we don't think it'll take too long for fans to be able to recite it quickly." Starks did point out, though, that the URL of the arena is the simpler VivintArena.com.
The name change is effective immediately. Much of the in-arena signage has already been changed. The permanent exterior signage will be switched over in the next 30 days, and the team's new court will be installed prior to the Jazz's first regular season home game on Nov. 4.
Contributing: Jeremiah Jensen
