Name change for Perth Arena?

Perth Arena is about to announce that road safety company RAC has bought its naming rights.

The announcement is to be made in the next few weeks, according to The Sunday Times.

Everyone concerned is refusing to comment but the deal is said to be worth $10 million and run for an initial five years.

The probable reason for this silence is that when the 15,000-capacity venue was being built under the previous state government, then-premier Colin Barnett had insisted that it include ‘Perth’ in its name, saying it was important for its branding – especially with international tourists.

To compensate for not being able to sell naming rights, stadium operator AEG Ogden had been paid a total of $7.9 million by the state government since 2012.

This deal expires at the end of June, says The Sunday Times.

Last year the new McGowan government said that earning money from selling the naming rights was far more important than any branding strategy.

Optus paid $50 million for acquiring the naming rights to the Burswood Stadium for ten years.

RAC was a founding partner of Perth Arena, and sponsors its RAC Local Lounge.

According to the state-of-the-art venue’s website, three million patrons have attended 350 major entertainment and sports events there since Sir Elton John opened it with a concert in November 2012.