London’s iconic SSE Arena Wembley has a new naming-rights partner, it has been announced today (Tuesday).
OVO Arena Wembley is the new moniker for the venue, which has welcomed some of the world’s biggest artists and performers over the years.
Sustainability will play a major role in the new agreement, as Bristol-headquartered green energy supplier, OVO will work with arena operator ASM Global to achieve its goal of ‘Greener Arena’ certification from not-for-profit company, A Greener Festival.
To do this, ASM Global will fund carbon-reduction and environmental initiatives with the hope of expanding the green ideals to all of ASM’s venues.
The implementation of these sustainable strategies will be backed by social responsibility platform, ASM Global Acts, which was introduced in 2021.
In 2020, OVO completed its acquisition of SSE Energy Services, which also led to the rebranding of Glasgow’s SSE Hydro to become the OVO Hydro in October last year.
The naming-rights deal for the OVO Arena Wembley was once again brokered by AEG Global Partnerships, which brokered the SSE agreement for the venue back in 2014.
OVO’s head of sponsorship and partnerships, Colin Banks, said: “At OVO, we’re committed to establishing purposeful partnerships which reflect our commitment to make zero carbon living a reality – not just in the home, but in the things we love doing too, whether that be going to a gig or a comedy show.
“That’s why we share in the OVO Arena Wembley’s ambition to help live entertainment in becoming more sustainable. It’ll take time, but together, we want to identify meaningful ways through which to make lower-impact live events a headline act in their own right and working with A Greener Festival represents a very positive step on that journey.”
John Drury, vice-president and general manager at OVO Arena Wembley, added: “ASM Global is delighted to support OVO Energy on the renaming of OVO Arena Wembley. The live entertainment industry has endured a challenging couple of years, but ASM Global is now looking forward to a bumper schedule of events across 2022.
“As we look to welcome more fans than ever before, we’re working hard to manage the environmental footprint of our operation – one show at a time. This partnership between OVO Energy and ASM Global means that our brilliant events will be aligned with our shared desire for a carbon-free future.”