The Smoothie King Center will remain the Smoothie King Center.
The New Orleans Pelicans announced Tuesday afternoon the renewal of the arena’s naming-rights contract with Smoothie King.
According to a statement from the team, the venue will retain its identity as the Smoothie King Center for "the foreseeable future."
“We are thrilled to extend our relationship with Smoothie King and maintain the iconic Smoothie King Center as the home of the New Orleans Pelicans,” Pelicans owner Gayle Benson said in a news release. “This partnership has been instrumental in creating a dynamic and engaging environment for our fans. Smoothie King's commitment to wellness and community aligns perfectly with our values, and we look forward to continuing to build on the success we've achieved together."
The arena first opened in 1999 and was originally called New Orleans Arena.
In February 2014, it was announced that a 10-year agreement had been reached to rename it the Smoothie King Center. A decade later, that agreement has been extended to keep that name.
The Pelicans' lease for the arena expires on June 30, but the Pelicans are expected to exercise an option on the agreement to keep the team playing there for at least the remainder of this decade.
"The intent is to exercise the option and shortly thereafter commission a study on Smoothie King Center’s short- and long-term viability with an eye to the future,” senior vice president Greg Bensel told The Times-Picayune in May.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver, who in 2013 pushed for the Milwaukee Bucks to replace their aging arena, said he is supportive of the Pelicans' plan to commission a study on the short- and long-term viability of Smoothie King Center. Silver said “every NBA team, regardless of location and market size, needs a model, state-of-the-art arena to compete in the league.”
To commemorate the renewal of this naming-rights partnership, the first 1,000 fans to arrive at the arena for the Pelicans' Jan. 5 game against the Los Angeles Clippers will receive a complimentary 12-ounce King Cake Smoothie.
