Symetra Becomes The First Founding Partner Of NHL Seattle, New Arena And Practice Facility

SEATTLE, June 24, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- Oak View Group (OVG)  and Seattle Hockey Partners (NHL Seattle) today announced Symetra Life Insurance Company as the first founding partner and sponsor of the National Hockey League's 32^nd franchise, the New Arena at Seattle Center, and Northgate Ice Centre.  

Symetra, based in Bellevue, Wash., is a national provider of employee benefits, annuities, and life insurance.  As a founding partner, the Symetra brand will be prominently showcased throughout the New Arena at Seattle Center as well as the Northgate Ice Centre, appearing on the ice and dasher boards. Additionally, Symetra will become the title sponsor of one of the premium clubs inside the New Arena at Seattle Center.

In the coming months, Symetra, NHL Seattle and OVG will unveil programs designed to make a lasting and positive impact on the community as well as joint philanthropic endeavors.

"We are thrilled to enter into an agreement with Symetra as our first founding partner," said Tim Leiweke, CEO of Oak View Group. "Symetra is committed to investing in and improving the community and they are the perfect fit for what we're working on. We feel that a partnership between our organizations will provide tremendous value across the Pacific Northwest."

"Symetra is excited to be a founding partner at the center of the return to hockey in the Pacific Northwest," said Margaret Meister, CEO of Symetra. "The New Arena at Seattle Center will transform the face of sports and entertainment in the Pacific Northwest and we're pleased to be first to support these efforts. Our partnership with OVG and NHL Seattle will help us reach our customers while giving us a great platform to elevate Symetra's brand awareness. Our home is in the Puget Sound region, and we are pleased to partner with organizations that have a clear connection to our community and align with our dedication to those we service."

"Adding Symetra as a founding partner is a great start to ensuring we have key partners who support us in our commitment to the community and know what it is like to be a good neighbor," said Tod Leiweke, CEO of NHL Seattle. "We share a vision of excellence and will work together to support and promote inclusivity and make a positive impact in our community."

NHL Seattle's inaugural season begins in 2021. Latest updates can be found at www.nhl.com/seattle.

About Symetra
Symetra Life Insurance Company is a subsidiary of Symetra Financial, a diversified financial services company based in Bellevue, Washington. In business since 1957, Symetra provides employee benefits, annuities and life insurance through a national network of benefit consultants, financial institutions, and independent agents and advisors. For more information, visit www.symetra.com.

About Seattle Hockey Partners
Seattle Hockey Partners (NHL Seattle) is responsible for leading the development activities of the newly awarded Seattle National Hockey League franchise, which is set to play its inaugural season in 2021-22 at the New Arena at Seattle Center, developed by Oak View Group. Visit nhlseattle.com/news for the latest news and information from the team including press releases, multimedia content and the latest hires. Follow NHL Seattle on social media to find out the latest news via Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Or search using the hashtag #NHLSeattle.

About Oak View Group (OVG)
Oak View Group (OVG) is a global sports and entertainment company founded by Tim Leiweke and Irving Azoff in 2015.  OVG is focused on being a positive disruption to business as usual in the sports and live entertainment industry and currently has 8 divisions across 4 global offices (Los Angeles, New York, London and Philadelphia).  OVG is leading the redevelopment and operations of the New Arena at Seattle Center as well as leading arena development projects in Belmont, NY, Austin, TX and Milan, Italy.  OVG Global Partnerships, a division of OVG, is the sales and marketing arm responsible for selling across all OVG Arena Development projects. For the latest information and news on the arena, visit http://newarenaatseattlecenter.com/

MEDIA CONTACTS:
Aaron Blank or Chris Guizlo, Fearey for NHL Seattle
nhlseattle@feareygroup.com, (206) 343-1543

Diana McSweeney, Sr. Manager, Symetra
Diana.McSweeney@Symetra.com, (425) 256-6167 

SOURCE NHL Seattle