Live Nation and Foxwoods Resort Casino Announce Naming Agreement for New York's Broadway Theatre - 'Foxwoods Theatre'

NEW YORK, Aug. 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Foxwoods Resort Casino, the East Coast's premier resort casino destination, and Live Nation, the world's largest live music company, today announced a multi-year agreement that grants Foxwoods the exclusive naming rights to the former Hilton Theatre on Broadway's historic 42nd Street in New York's Times Square (originally the Ford Center for the Performing Arts). Beginning today, the venue will be called the Foxwoods Theatre. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Under terms of the agreement, the Foxwoods brand will be incorporated into all exterior and interior venue signage, including the theater's iconic sign overlooking 42nd Street and in the theater's VIP Suite and the Dress Circle Lobby. Foxwoods Theatre will feature a unique logo and web domain (www.foxwoodstheatre.com.)

The sponsorship also provides Foxwoods with access to the venue for corporate and philanthropic events and tickets to performances at the theater, most notably to SPIDER-MAN:  TURN OFF THE DARK, one of the most anticipated Broadway openings of all time. The Foxwoods name will be included on all tickets as well as all elements of SPIDER-MAN:  TURN OFF THE DARK's extensive advertising campaign.

"Showcasing the Foxwoods brand in such a prominent location in New York City provides us with a signature opportunity to further extend our reach into the most coveted media market in the world," said Robert Victoria, Chief Marketing Officer for Foxwoods and MGM Grand at Foxwoods. "As the home to SPIDER-MAN:  TURN OFF THE DARK,  the new Foxwoods Theatre presents Foxwoods and MGM Grand at Foxwoods with a tremendous opportunity to capitalize on the buzz, excitement, and exposure surrounding the most anticipated Broadway production of all time, and the tremendous value we receive from the production's advertising campaign made this deal a no-brainer. We are excited to partner with Live Nation on yet another program that enables us to reach one of our core audiences in such a unique and compelling manner."

Foxwoods Theatre, operated by Live Nation, accommodates nearly 2,000 theater-goers. Originally constructed in 1996 on the site of the legendary Apollo and Lyric Theatres, the venue combines architectural preservation with state-of-the-art construction and technology. The newly-renovated space pays homage to the spirit and character of New York's grandest historic theater – with sparkling chandeliers, a two-story rotunda ringed with columns, magnificent marble mosaics, and an elegant limestone staircase – and now features the technical amenities of a cutting-edge, modern facility.  

"Foxwoods recognizes the importance of entertainment to New Yorkers and the millions of travelers who visit New York every year, making the Foxwoods Theatre, in the heart of the historic Broadway theater district, an ideal venue for Foxwoods Resort Casino to reach new and existing customers," said Micah Hollingsworth, General Manager Foxwoods Theatre. "The theater itself is the perfect combination of historic grandeur and modern conveniences."

SPIDER-MAN:  TURN OFF THE DARK features music and lyrics by 22-time Grammy® Award-winners Bono and The Edge of U2, with direction by Tony® Award-winner Julie Taymor (The Tempest, Across the Universe, The Lion King) and a book by Julie Taymor and Glen Berger (Underneath The Lintel).  

About Live Nation Entertainment:

Live Nation Entertainment (NYSE: LYV) is the largest live entertainment company in the world, consisting of five businesses: concert promotion and venue operations, sponsorship, ticketing solutions, e-commerce and artist management.  Live Nation seeks to innovate and enhance the live entertainment experience for artists and fans: before, during and after the show.  In 2009, Live Nation sold 140 million tickets, promoted 21,000 concerts, partnered with 850 sponsors and averaged 25 million unique monthly users of its e-commerce sites.  For additional information, visit www.livenation.com/investors.

About Foxwoods and MGM Grand at Foxwoods

North America's largest casino, Foxwoods Resort Casino® is located in the rolling hills of southeastern Connecticut and is easily accessible from Boston, New York, Hartford, and Providence. Owned by the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, Foxwoods features six casinos with more than 7,200 slots, 380 table games, the only WPT World Poker Room™ in New England, High Stakes Bingo, and Ultimate Race Book. There are 1,416 guest rooms and suites in three hotels, more than 30 restaurants, a luxurious spa, more than 50,000 square feet of premium meeting and event space, 24 retail shops, and five entertainment venues, including the 1,400-seat Fox Theatre. Conveniently located adjacent to Foxwoods is Lake of Isles™, featuring two 18-hole championship golf courses designed by Rees Jones and a state-of-the-art Golf Academy. In May 2008, the MGM Grand at Foxwoods® debuted, adding 825 luxurious guest rooms, 115,000 square feet of meeting space, the 4,000-seat MGM Grand Theater, a 21,000-square-foot spa, and more dining, retail, and gaming facilities, bolstering Foxwoods' preeminence as the East Coast's ultimate casino resort destination. Foxwoods supports responsible gaming, and plays a leadership role in the Connecticut Council of Problem Gambling, of which it was a founding entity. For more information, call 1-800-FOXWOODS or visit www.foxwoods.com.

About the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation

The Mashantucket Pequots are a native Algonquin people in southeastern Connecticut, having endured centuries of conflict, survival, and continuity on and around one of America's oldest Indian reservations, established in 1666. As the first native people within the borders of the continental United States to suffer attempted genocidal massacre by Puritan Colonists in 1637, the Pequots and their repatriation is an unprecedented story of restoration exhibited in detail at the Tribe's world-class Museum and Research Center (www.pequotmuseum.org). Today the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation owns the largest resort casino in the world, Foxwoods Resort Casino (www.foxwoods.com), along with several other economic ventures including the Lake of Isles Golf Course (www.lakeofisles.com), a joint-venture partnership establishing the MGM Grand at Foxwoods, and Foxwoods Development Company dedicated to world-class resort development throughout the United States and Caribbean. All together, the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation remains one of the State of Connecticut's highest tax payers and largest employers. Likewise, the Tribe provides significant financial contributions to state and local nonprofit organizations that support neighboring communities. 

SOURCE Live Nation