Kuala Lumpur, 16th January 2017 – In its capacity as Perbadanan Stadium Malaysia’s (Stadium Corporation Malaysia) commercial sponsorship consultant, TSA is proud to secure the first Naming Rights partnership for the new KL Sports City.
Leading Asian telecommunications group, Axiata Group Berhad (Axiata), has come on board as the naming right partner for the Putra Indoor Stadium – the indoor stadium of KL Sports City. The venue will be renamed Axiata Arena when it reopens in July 2017. Currently undergoing extensive upgrading works, the multi-purpose indoor arena will become a fully integrated and high connectivity world-class venue for sports, entertainment and culture, on par with international destination venues such as the Staples Center in Los Angeles, the O2 Arena in London and the Mercedes Benz Arena in Shanghai. The venue will be hosting the KL 2017 SEA Games in August this year and will be the go to destination for major music and sports events in the country.
YB Brigadier General Khairy Jamaluddin, Minister of Youth and Sports who announced the country’s first naming rights partnership, commented: “The partnership between Axiata and Perbadanan Stadium Malaysia is geared towards benefiting Malaysia in promoting Kuala Lumpur as a regional sports, entertainment and cultural hub, attracting global talent, connecting communities and creating employment opportunities while showcasing the nation’s strong digital assets and infrastructure. Axiata Arena will be a focal point of national and regional attention as we host the SEA Games and the Para Games this year. The venue will also be the epicenter of creating a vibrant and active nation, in line with the Transformasi Nasional 50 (TN50) initiative and will support the government’s initiative to create a ‘Sporting Nation’”.
Tan Sri Jamaludin Ibrahim, Group Chief Executive Officer, Axiata Group Berhad said: “For Axiata, this partnership meets three objectives for the Group. Firstly, this is yet another step in our commitment to national contribution which follows our other sponsorships such as the Celcom Axiata Malaysian Open and, in the past, the Axiata Cup. Secondly, as a leading regional brand, the naming of Axiata Arena will augment our international branding to a worldwide audience especially given the upcoming SEA Games and many more international events to be held there. Lastly, the venue will be the test bed and launchpad for Axiata and Celcom’s latest technologies and digital services with the use of apps and online applications for services, sales and real-time information. Making the arena one of the most digitally advanced sporting and entertainment venues, equal to the very best globally.”
TSA Group CEO, Marcus Luer, said: “We are very excited to start 2017 with such a big announcement. A lot of hard work has gone into this project and I am very happy to see the Axiata Logo on the building. I want to thank the Minister for his confidence in us and Tan Sri for his support over the years. I have no doubt that this great project will set a new benchmark in Branding and Venue marketing in the country.
The new and improved KL Sports City is the ultimate playground and destination for all major sports and entertainment events in Malaysia and its region. Phase 1 of the upgrade will be completed in time for the SEA games in August 2017 which would include the National Stadium, Putra Stadium, the National Aquatic Centre and National Hockey Stadium with improved integration to the current public transportation. Phase 2 will see the complete creation of KL Sports City that will consist of new world-class facilities including a shopping mall, convention centre and Hotel among others.
About TSA
TSA (Total Sports Asia) is a leading independent sports marketing agency with offices in Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Beijing. Stadium Consulting, sponsorship/licensing, events management, Media Rights, Digital Media are its core business activities.