Hartford HealthCare has signed on as the first “Founding Partner” of the recently renamed PeoplesBank Arena, further anchoring corporate support for Hartford’s primary sports and entertainment venue following a major renovation.
Oak View Group (OVG), which manages the city-owned arena, announced the partnership Wednesday. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
Hartford HealthCare, one of the state’s largest employers and health systems, will receive prominent branding and visibility throughout the roughly 16,000-seat downtown facility, according to OVG. The designation marks the first Founding Partner announced since Holyoke, Massachusetts-based PeoplesBank secured naming rights last year.
The arena, formerly known as the XL Center, was rebranded as PeoplesBank Arena under a 10-year naming-rights agreement valued at an average of about $2 million annually. That deal, announced in June 2025, represented a significant sponsorship milestone for the venue, which had gone without a paid naming partner after XL Catlin’s contract expired.
The Hartford HealthCare agreement comes after the arena’s roughly $140 million state-backed renovation, which modernized the 50-year-old facility and aimed to improve its competitiveness for concerts, sports and major events.
OVG has been overseeing extensive upgrades, including new premium seating, concourse improvements, locker rooms and building systems, as part of a long-term management arrangement with the Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA). Under that agreement, OVG committed $20 million toward the renovation and will assume responsibility for operating deficits while sharing potential profits with the city.
Hartford HealthCare executives framed the partnership as both a branding move and an investment in Hartford’s economic trajectory.
Jeffrey A. Flaks, the system’s president and CEO, said the commitment reflects confidence in the capital city’s long-term vitality.
“This investment not only reflects our mission in Hartford’s future but solidifies our responsibility to help drive its resurgence,” Flaks said. “We hope it will inspire other Connecticut-based organizations to make similar commitments that strengthen our economy, accelerate post-COVID revitalization, and reaffirm the tremendous potential of a vibrant, thriving capital city.”
Hartford HealthCare also has naming rights for the Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater in Bridgeport.
OVG officials said the relationship aligns with broader efforts to enhance the guest experience and integrate health and wellness messaging into arena programming.
