History of the arena
Construction began in August 1990, and the arena opened in late 1992, just in time for the 1992-1993 NBA season. With the naming rights going to America West Airlines , the venue was affectionately named the America West Arena. It cost nearly $90 million to build and covers 11 acres.
The PHX Arena is located in the heart of downtown Phoenix on Jefferson Street, just four miles from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX). The space currently serves as the home arena for the following professional teams:
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Team: |
Professional sports league: |
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Phoenix Suns |
National Basketball Association (NBA) |
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Phoenix Mercury |
Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) |
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Arizona Rattlers |
Indoor Football League (IFL) |
It has the capacity to seat nearly 20,000 people for basketball games, concerts, ice hockey, and indoor football games. Throughout its 33-year lifetime, six different names have been given to the arena. Most notably, the arena began its existence with an airline sponsor.
The Phoenix Suns
According to Britannica, an online encyclopedia, the Phoenix Suns began playing basketball in 1968 as an expansion team. The team struggled early on but had its first significant success during the 1975-1976 season. Under the leadership of coach John MacLeod, the Suns reached the NBA Finals but lost to the Boston Celtics in a thrilling six-game series.
The Suns had several notable seasons throughout the 1970s and 1980s. In the late 1980s, they built a strong foundation, making the playoffs for several seasons but failing to secure a championship.
In the mid-1980s, The Phoenix Suns had a historic rivalry with the Los Angeles Lakers. The Phoenix Suns played at the Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum from its inception until 1992, when the America West Arena was completed.
America West and its hometown glory
He also held leadership positions with Continental Airlines and Frontier Airlines. In 1989, Ed Beauvais was inducted into the Arizona Aviation Hall of Fame for his successful airline industry efforts.
On August 1, 1983, America West finally took flight with its sole Boeing 737 aircraft. Its inaugural routing consisted of Kansas City (MCI) - Colorado Springs (COS) - Phoenix (PHX). America West had some of the lowest costs in the airline industry due to its use of "cross-utilization" of its employees. For example, pilots were trained in dispatch, and flight attendants were trained to handle baggage and ticketing.
Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, America West quickly became one of Phoenix and the state of Arizona's largest and most recognizable employers, with its headquarters in Tempe, Arizona, a suburb of Phoenix.
In 1992, America West was named the official airline of the Phoenix Suns when a deal was signed to have America West sponsor the Sun's new arena. This sponsorship showed America West's commitment to its hometown community. America West had several 737 aircraft adorned with Phoenix Suns decals, and eventually had a 757-200 painted in a special Phoenix Suns livery.
Since America West was Phoenix's hometown airline, the board of directors raised financing from a consortium of Phoenix-based companies to assist the airline throughout its trip through bankruptcy court.
By the early 1990s, America West had officially become the state of Arizona's largest employer, and prominent Phoenix businessperson William A. Franke was brought in to lead the bleeding airline during its bankruptcy and restructuring period. Franke aimed to save as many America West Phoenix-based jobs as possible.
By the late 1990s, America West was flying high again, with profits being made and employee morale at an all-time high. The carrier remained marginally successful until the September 11 terrorist attacks wreaked havoc on the global airline industry. Following the 9/11 tragedy, America West continued to struggle and later merged with floundering US Airways in 2005.
At the time of the merger, America West was the financially stronger carrier and decided to execute the transaction as a reverse merger. Both executive teams agreed that America West's management should continue to run the combined airline.
However, the US Airways name and brand were kept to portray a more global presence versus a more regional one. Upon completing the transaction, America West's management decided to keep the combined company headquarters in Tempe, Arizona. Once the transaction was completed, the America West Arena was changed to US Airways Center.
In 2015, a merger between American Airlines and US Airways was completed. Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport was retained as a hub and operating base for the newly merged American. Thanks to America West, American could continue to enjoy a strategically placed Southwestern hub. America West's Phoenix legacy lives on as American still employs hundreds of legacy America West employees.
American Airlines and other arenas
American has the naming rights to the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. American Airlines Center is home to the NBA's Dallas Mavericks and the professional hockey team, the Dallas Stars. According to TheRichest, a celebrity news and entertainment hub, American Airlines Center is the ninth most expensive naming rights deal in the US.
"The American Airlines Center is one of many stadiums to house both an NBA and NHL team. American Airlines is paying $6.5 million per year for the name of this stadium. The contract will expire in 2031."
American rightfully deserves the naming rights to a major venue in its hometown. The oneworld Alliance carrier has been based in the Dallas/Fort Worth area since 1979 and has taken immense pride in Texas and the Dallas region for nearly 50 years.
The original American Airlines Arena
The Kaseya Center (Pat Riley Court at Kaseya Center) opened as the American Airlines Arena on December 31, 1999. The arena cost $213 million dollars to build and is located in Miami, Florida. The Kaseya Center is home to the Miami Heat professional basketball team. The arena can accommodate roughly 20,000 basketball spectators.
Upon completing the gargantuan Miami sports complex, American painted a giant aircraft on the arena's roof as part of the sponsorship arrangement. The design was visible from aircraft taking off and landing at Miami International Airport (MIA), where American operates its 3rd largest hub.
Currently, American has only one major venue sponsorship deal. However, as the four-year partnership between the PHX Arena and Footprint concludes, an airline sponsorship could be revived. According to Phoenix local news duopoly an CBS affiliate Arizona's Family, the arena is looking for a new partner.
“We were presented with a unique opportunity to reimagine and strengthen our partnership with Footprint to better align with their mission and commitment to sustainability and innovation. Footprint will remain the official sustainability partner of the Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury, and we have begun the process to find a new naming rights partner.” - Stacey Mitch, Phoenix Suns' Sr. Vice President of Communications & Broadcast
2025 marks the 10th anniversary of the American-US Airways merger. American could pitch a special sponsorship to the PHX Arena to show its long-standing commitment to the greater Phoenix community and a homage to the gone, but yet not-forgotten carrier, America West Airlines.
