Best Buy Theater Lights Up Times Square

NEW YORK & MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Manhattan’s premiere concert and events showplace will soon have a new name when “BEST BUY THEATER” illuminates the 2,100-capacity theater’s signature 85’foot long LED high definition marquee screens for the first time next month. AEG Live and Best Buy today announced a multi-year naming rights agreement for the venue which will continue to feature the hottest acts in the entertainment industry.

“Now more than ever, it’s clear to us that Times Square has become the perfect showplace for the merging of entertainment, music and technology, and the Best Buy Theater is the ideal venue to showcase this integration”

Best Buy, a leading consumer electronics and entertainment retailer, will receive prominent logo placement throughout all public and private areas of the David Rockwell-designed Theater. Guests will have the chance to visit the Best Buy Lounge aimed at bringing the latest technology products and services to life via state-of-the-art interactive displays. Guests will also have an opportunity to download mobile content and enter promotions among other activities. Additionally, Best Buy’s production arm, Yellow Tag Productions, will be producing theater-specific content to run inside and outside the theater.

“The Best Buy Theater underscores our continuing commitment to being a leader in entertainment, and we are thrilled to partner with AEG Live to bring our presence to the crossroads of the world — Times Square,” said Drew Panayiotou, chief marketing officer for Best Buy’s US-based operations. “Times Square is at the center of media and entertainment, and both are central to our brand so this venue is a great fit for us. We plan to utilize the theater as a stage with key partners for the most exciting events and news happening in consumer electronics.”

Since its grand opening on September 19^th, 2005 as Nokia Theatre Times Square, the area’s only state-of-the-art theater has hosted a variety of performers including Bon Jovi (the venue’s first concert), John Legend, Rihanna, Fall Out Boy, Jay-Z, Sugarland, Prince, The Eagles, Alicia Keys, Sharon Jones & Dap Kings, and Phil Lesh & Friends who had an historic 14-night run in 2008. The 45,000-square foot theater has also hosted special events such as Dick Clark’s Rockin’ New Year’s Eve, Good Morning America concert series performances by Janet Jackson and Usher, Bruce Springsteen’s Gateway Schools Benefit, ESPN and Nickelodeon upfronts in addition to being the home of the annual Heisman Trophy presentation since 2005. Located at 1515 Broadway (at 44^th Street) in world famous Times Square, Best Buy Theater is just blocks away from six Best Buy store locations in the greater Manhattan area.

“Now more than ever, it’s clear to us that Times Square has become the perfect showplace for the merging of entertainment, music and technology, and the Best Buy Theater is the ideal venue to showcase this integration,” said Todd Goldstein, President, AEG Global Partnerships. “Our ongoing commitment to present an incredibly diverse mixture of the most popular and talented artists in music today, combined with Best Buy’s leadership position in entertainment and consumer electronics, will clearly create the industry’s top platform to present performances and technology in the most innovative ways.”

Best Buy Theater features state-of-the-art lighting, a JBL sound system, two mezzanine lounges, dressing rooms, and a green room. The innovative and uniquely designed multi-use theater can be easily transformed to accommodate a wide array of events including live television and web broadcasts, live recordings, award shows and cocktail receptions.

Best Buy Theater features an 85-foot-long LED high-definition marquee displaying live and digital video, and as one of the largest marquees on Broadway it can broadcast live from the stage directly to the marquee in real time in addition to its unique text messaging capabilities. The one-of-a-kind marquee is also directly connected to MTV’s Times Square studio located on the 2nd floor of the 54-story building.

The Fall 2010 line-up at the Best Buy Theater continues to bring an eclectic mix of shows to the Times Square stage with acts that include rising R&B star Jason Derulo, Ingrid Michaelson, NBC’s ‘Last Comic Standing’ Live, Gary Numan, Cypress Hill, a five-night run with rock legends The Black Crowes, Paul Weller, Grinderman, and four nights with superstar comedian Jim Gaffigan.

About Best Buy Co., Inc.

With operations in the United States, Canada, Europe, China, Mexico and Turkey, Best Buy is a multinational retailer of technology and entertainment products and services with a commitment to growth and innovation. The Best Buy family of brands and partnerships collectively generates more than $49 billion in annual revenue and includes brands such as Best Buy; Best Buy Mobile; Audiovisions; The Carphone Warehouse; Future Shop; Geek Squad, Jiangsu Five Star; Magnolia Audio Video; Napster; Pacific Sales; and The Phone House. Approximately 180,000 employees apply their talents to help bring the benefits of these brands to life for customers through retail locations, multiple call centers and Web sites, in-home solutions, product delivery and activities in our communities. Community partnership is central to the way we do business at Best Buy. In fiscal 2010, we donated a combined $25.2 million to improve the vitality of the communities where our employees and customers live and work.

For more information about Best Buy, visit www.bby.com.

ABOUT AEG Live

AEG Live, the live-entertainment division of Los Angeles-based AEG, is dedicated to all aspects of live contemporary music performance. AEG Live is comprised of touring, festival, exhibition, broadcast, merchandise and special event divisions, fifteen regional offices, and thirty state-of-the-art venues. The company is currently producing tours and productions including Cher at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace, Supernatural Santana: A Trip Through the Hits at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Barry Manilow at Paris Las Vegas. The concert tour roster includes artists such as Taylor Swift, The Black Eyed Peas, Bon Jovi, Carrie Underwood, Daughtry, Justin Bieber Leonard Cohen, Miley Cyrus, Kelly Clarkson, Wisin & Yandel, Britney Spears, Kenny Chesney, P!nkp, Paul McCartney and KISS. AEG Live is the largest producer of music festivals in North America from the critically acclaimed Coachella Music & Arts Festival to Stagecoach and New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival.

For more information, go to www.aeglive.com http://www.aeglive.com/.