The Utah Jazz will no longer call the EnergySolutions Arena as their home court, not because they have changed courts, but because the sports complex is now named the Vivint Smart Home Arena.

Yes, the home automation, security and monitoring company Vivint, Inc., has struck a partnership with Larry H. Miller Sports and Entertainment (LHMSE) for the naming rights of the arena for the next 10 years, with the option to extend another five years.

Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

The union of two Utah companies

Headquartered in Provo, Utah, Vivint is known for its smart home automation offering in the security sector. The union of these two companies is seen as as something that would greatly benefit the state of Utah.

“The Utah Jazz and the arena have been an incredible economic engine for this region, and have created a tremendous sense of pride among Utahns,” said Todd Pedersen, CEO of Vivint. “This agreement extends far beyond a typical ‘logo-on-the-building’ arrangement – it’s a true partnership built around innovation, community impact and the drive to elevate the prominence of Utah.”

More than just a name change

Aside from the name change, the arena will also see some major changes in the venue, a move that will make the game viewing experience much more exciting for the attendees. The deal includes a multi-faceted strategic marketing partnership that includes an interactive “Vivint Smart Home Experience” on the arena concourse, expertise in products and services to improve the game night fan experience, and upgraded security and automation technology at the basketball facilities.

The two companies will also be collaborating on an autism awareness campaign as part of their joint community outreach. Vivint has already been an active partner with LHMSE, including sponsorship of the Tour of Utah, Salt Lake Bees and Utah Jazz.

The name change is effective immediately and will be visible throughout the facility. The signs will be prominent on the exterior of the building, the lower panels of the center hung scoreboard, all digital building signage and on the Utah Jazz basketball court.

The naming transition will occur until the end of 2015 as the arena hosts marquee events beginning with the Garth Brooks World Tour on October 29-31 and the Jazz home opener on November 4.

Arena history

Construction of the arena began on June 11, 1990 and was completed in 15 months and 24 days later, at a cost of $66 million. The arena, which is a 19,911-seat facility and houses 50 luxury suites, an All-Star Suite and an Executives Club, three sky suites on level six, and numerous hospitality and multipurpose rooms, officially opened on October 7, 1991 and became the Jazz’s home court. Back then, the arena was called Delta Center under a naming rights agreement with Delta Air Lines. The said airlines faced bankruptcy some fifteen years later and nuclear waste disposal company EnergySolutions stepped in and signed a 10-year deal.

EnergySolutions made it known that it will not be renewing its naming rights and the Jazz started looking for possible replacements. There were 10 possible arena sponsors the Jazz were considering before they finalized a deal with Vivint.

EnergySolutions will continue to be a Champion Partner with the Utah Jazz, lead sponsor for Junior Jazz across the State of Utah and will continue working with the Miller family on other community projects.

Over the years, the arena had been host to NBA Finals, the 1993 NBA All-Star Weekend, 1999 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, music behemoths such as Garth Brooks, U2, Taylor Swift and The Rolling Stones, and even family oriented shows such as the Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus, Disney on Ice and Days of ’47 Rodeo, to name a few.

The arena has also seen some major enhancements in its facility over the years. About $25 million has been invested into the arena’s improvements that focuses on enhancing fan experience, improved public address system, enlarged concourse entries with retail and food offerings, digital direction and concessions signage, the addition of the Legends Club, two Fanzz stores and the expansion of the main team store, and numerous energy efficiency projects.

The most significant improvement was a $15 million investment prior to the 2013-14 season for the installation of a new high definition video display system and other building infrastructure.