New name for the new JBA? Why that’s a distinct possibility
AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) - With the old James Brown Arena gone, we’re learning its bigger and better replacement may not share the same name.
When officials offered a preview earlier this week, they told us not to use the name James Brown Arena.
The naming rights are up in the air, they said.
What’s in a name? Apparently, a lot of money.
The naming rights for the new James Brown Arena are up for sale, revenue that the Coliseum Authority needs for future operations at the Augusta Entertainment Complex.
Money isn’t the only reason the legacy name could change.
The second reason is that james brown’s family no longer owns the rights his name, image and music.
They sold it off years ago to a company called Primary Wave.
The Colissum Authority tells me they have reached out to the company with a package so that the arena can keep its legacy name, but so far, the company hasn’t responded.
Ticket sales alone will not cover operations at the new arena, so sponsorship is needed to keep the lights on, which is why naming rights for the new arena are up for sale.
The current market value will determine the price for the new name.
Regardless, the Coliseum Authority says the new arena will honor the godfather of soul in an even bigger way than the old arena. What will that look like? We don’t know yet.
When many of us voted on the sales tax that would build the new arena, many of us assumed the new arena would be the new James Brown Arena.
So we were surprised that the arena name could be sold off to the highest bidder.
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Liz: Number one question, why change the name?
Brad: It’s standard practice in the industry to have a sponsor, a name and rights sponsor, and it’s all due to finances.
Brad Usry serves on the Colesium board. He tells us the future name of the new arena is up for sale
Liz: Were you aware when this went up for a vote that the name would be changed?
Because tax dollars won’t keep the lights on.
Brad: No, we were aware we were selling naming rights.
This is what voters saw on their ballots two years ago when they voted for the new arena: 433,196,500 to fund coliseum capital outlay projects.
Liz: The voters voted to put their money towards the new arena, but we have to have the name changed to the new arena?
Brad: So you are talking about a bond to build it, but once you build it, you got operations. You’ve got a big building with a lot of overhead.
Changing the legacy name isn’t sitting well with locals.
More than 1,200 have already signed a petition on change.org to preserve the name of james brown arena.
Liz: Does anybody have any power to do anything about it, like keeping the name?
Brad: You know James Brown’s likeness and name were sold to Primary Wave by the family, so we encourage Primary Wave and tell them you want it to stay exactly the way it is.
We first told you about the sale of James Brown’s estate in 2021.
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The roughly 90 million deal includes music rights, real estate and brown’s name and likeness.
Brad: And primary wave, we presented them a package to buy the name rights.
Liz: And they declined it?
Liz: Again, obg the management company is handling it, and I don’t think they have responded yet, meaning the colliseum authority doesn’t even have the authority to use james brown’s name on the new arena.
It turns out it’s a pretty complicated situation.
So, to retain the name would require permission from that company, The Augusta-Richmond County Coliseum Authority says it’s reached out to that company, but hasn’t heard back.
Adding to the complications, the sales tax is paying for the building itself, but it won’t cover the daily operations – and neither will ticket sales, we’re told.
And that’s where the revenue from the naming rights comes in.
We’ve talked to officials about the situation, and we’re getting some clarity,
Leaders were pretty excited earlier this week to show off plans for the new arena.
It will tower 10 stories tall, hosting about 100 events a year from musical and family productions to hockey games, officials said Tuesday.
It will offer a variety of options, including suites, box seating and party facilities.
And visitors can take in local flavors with some concessions featuring Augustans’ favorite restaurants.
For now, the site will stay flat and noisy as contractors are in the backfill and settlement phase, packing the foundation before the construction goes vertical in the coming months.
Leaders said they expect the new 10,000-seat arena, funded by a voter-approved sales tax, to open in 2027.
“We’re right on time and on budget – that’s the main thing,” said Brad Usry of the Augusta-Richmond County Coliseum Authority.
He said the size of the arena will be just right for Augusta.
He said two different consulting firms performed studies, and both came up with that number of seats as optimal.
“We’ve never had an arena that sat 10,000 people that sold out,” he said Tuesday. “We’re gonna sell it out.”
And hockey fans will once again be able to enjoy the sport in Augusta, he said.
Officials aren’t ready to announce a team yet, but they’re working on a deal, and it will be a very exciting announcement when the time comes, Usry said.
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