The home of the Toronto Marlies (AHL) is being renamed, as Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE) and Coca-Cola have agreed to a naming-rights deal for Coca-Cola Coliseum. Known until this agreement as Ricoh Coliseum, the arena’s name is changing as the result of a 10-year partnership between Coca-Cola and MLSE.
“This strategic and exciting partnership shows our deep commitment to the community, and gives us a fantastic opportunity to help bring people together through community-focused programs and inclusive access,” said Michael Samoszewski, Vice-President of Marketing with Coca-Cola Ltd. “Coca-Cola has deep roots in the Toronto community, with our first bottling plant opening in the city’s west end in 1906. We have been refreshing Canadians for more than 120 years and are thrilled to work alongside MLSE to continue building a welcoming environment for the community throughout this 10-year partnership.”
For every Marlies home game during the 2018-2019 season at Coca-Cola Coliseum, Coca-Cola will donate a suite of seats to non-profit community organizations. Coca-Cola will also open the arena to the public for several community skate events throughout the upcoming 2018-2019 season.
“MLSE works every day to provide a world-class experience for our fans,” said Jeff Deline, Senior Vice President, Global Partnerships at MLSE. “Through strategic partnerships with companies like Coca-Cola, we are able to continue our pursuit of delivering championships to our city and our fans and making our venues some of the best in the world.”
Coca-Cola Coliseum, which has a capacity of 8,300 fans, was constructed in 1922, and originally was a 6,200-seat Coliseum Arena until 2003 when it underwent an extensive renovation to build more seating capacity and corporate suites. It has been home to the Marlies since 2004, and a capacity crowd saw the team win the Calder Cup Championship last month in a dramatic game seven victory over the Texas Stars. Over the years, the venue has hosted many sports teams, musical events and entertainers, including The Doors, The Who, Vanilla Fudge, Genesis, Circus, and Jimmy Hendrix.
