Both fans and sponsors are lining up to become involved in the as yet-to-be-built Barclays Center Arena, future home of the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets basketball franchises.
That after the Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment (BSE), an affiliate of Nets Sports and Entertainment, LLC, last week, officially opened the Barclays Center Showroom on the 38th floor of The New York Times Building in Times Square.
Among the attendees at the gala party opening were Nets principal owner Bruce Ratner, Nets part-owner Jay-Z, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, NBA deputy commissioner Adam Silver.
“The opening of the Barclays Center Showroom is another significant step towards bringing a world-class arena and major sports team to Brooklyn,” said Brett Yormark, president and CEO of Nets Sports and Entertainment.
“The Showroom will be a snapshot for what suite and premium season ticket holders can expect to experience at the Barclays Center when it opens in calendar year 2010,” he added.
The multi-media interactive Showroom – like the Barclays Center – is designed by star architect Frank Gehry and includes a full-size replicated suite with immersive theater-style viewing.
The Showroom also offers a model of the Barclays Center seating bowl and the opportunity to view special Gehry sketches and an historical timeline of sports and entertainment milestones in Brooklyn.
In total, the Barclays Center will offer 118 open-air executive suites and 12 courtside suites of which are being designed by Gehry.
From the moment they arrive at the Barclays Center, suite holders and their guests will receive a “Street to Suite” experience with hotel-inspired hospitality including red-carpet greeting, private entrance and lobby, premium concierge service, private elevators, and access to exclusive restaurants and lounges.
The suites would range in price from $300,000 to just over $500,000. In addition to Nets games, most suite buyers will receive access to other Barclays Center events, anticipated to include world-class concerts, college sports, circuses, ice shows and much more.
Yormark said the Barclays Center is already receiving extensive interest in sponsorships, suites, and season tickets.
Besides the 20-year naming rights deal – reported to be in the $400 million range – the Nets recently announced about $100 million in sponsorship deals with Anheuser-Busch, Izod and Foxwoods Resort Casino.
For more information on the Barclays Center, log onto www.barclayscenter.com.
