The Madison Square Garden Company and Hulu Announce The Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden
Multiyear Partnership Marks First Time a Streaming Service Inks Venue Naming Rights Deal
New York, NY, March 1, 2018 – The Madison Square Garden Company (NYSE: MSG) and leading premium streaming service Hulu, announced today a multi-faceted marketing partnership that includes naming rights to The Theater at Madison Square Garden. The celebrated theater will now be known as The Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden, with Hulu branding and content fully integrated across the venue, as well as MSG’s digital and promotional platforms.
“The Theater at Madison Square Garden has played a central role in the history of the Madison Square Garden Arena complex, with its own rich tapestry of cherished events,” said Darren Pfeffer, executive vice president, MSG Live. “We are thrilled to have such an acclaimed partner in Hulu, which is also known for its commitment to celebrating the very best in entertainment.”
In addition to exclusive naming rights to the venue, the expansive marketing partnership includes prominent Hulu branding throughout The Theater, new signage on Eighth Avenue, as well as digital branding assets, sweepstakes and promotional rights and ticket pre-sales to select events. Theater patrons will also be able to enjoy Hulu content in the venue’s lobby, as well as targeted activations around specific events. To further mark the partnership, all venue signage – including ingress and egress signage, and Penn Station directional and digital signage – will be rebranded The Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden.
“Hulu gives viewers access to all of the live and on-demand sports, news, family and entertainment content they love, so it is only fitting that we partner with one of the world’s best-in-class sports and entertainment venues,” said Hulu Chief Marketing Officer, Kelly Campbell. “This new relationship gives us a unique presence in one of the largest and most important media markets and we’re proud to align with an iconic venue such as The Theater at Madison Square Garden.”
For more than 40 years, the 5,600-seat Theater at Madison Square Garden has made its mark on live entertainment, as the backdrop to an extraordinary mix of events that spans entertainment, sports and culture. The venue has hosted many of the biggest names in music including John Legend, Florida Georgia Line, J. Balvin and Elton John and a wide array of entertainers, from Chris Rock to Tyler, the Creator. The Theater has also been the setting of countless memorable events, including top boxing bouts and the NBA Draft; ELF The Musical; Sesame Street Live; The Daytime Emmy® Awards; “Wheel of Fortune;” and auditions for “America’s Got Talent.”
Hulu is the only streaming service to offer consumers the largest streaming SVOD TV library in the U.S., popular Originals and sports, news and shows from more than 50 top live TV channels. Hulu offers TV fans a complete television experience, all in one easy to use place, on their favorite devices. With more than 17 million total subscribers in the U.S., Hulu will now have a marquee location in New York City that can be used for upfront presentations, show launches, exclusive events and more.
About The Madison Square Garden Company
The Madison Square Garden Company (MSG) is a world leader in live sports and entertainment experiences. The company presents or hosts a broad array of premier events in its diverse collection of iconic venues: New York’s Madison Square Garden, The Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall and Beacon Theatre; the Forum in Inglewood, CA; The Chicago Theatre; and the Wang Theatre in Boston. Other MSG properties include legendary sports franchises: the New York Knicks (NBA), the New York Rangers (NHL) and the New York Liberty (WNBA); two development league teams – the Westchester Knicks (NBAGL) and the Hartford Wolf Pack (AHL); and one of the leading North American esports organizations, Counter Logic Gaming. In addition, the Company features the popular original production – the Christmas Spectacular Starring the Radio City Rockettes – and through Boston Calling Events, produces New England’s preeminent Boston Calling Music Festival. Also under the MSG umbrella is TAO Group, a world-class hospitality group with globally-recognized entertainment dining and nightlife brands: Tao, Marquee, Lavo, Avenue, The Stanton Social, Beauty & Essex and Vandal. More information is available at www.themadisonsquaregardencompany.com