| Richy Mercury 06.03.2006 19:38 |
Press Release Source: Verizon MCI Center Will Be Renamed Verizon Center on Sunday, March 5 Thursday February 23, 2:45 pm ET Official Date Comes Two Months After Merger Is Completed Between Verizon Communications and MCI WASHINGTON, Feb. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- Almost two months after Verizon Communications officially announced the closing of its merger with MCI, the MCI Center, the 20,000-seat sports and entertainment facility in the nation's capital, will officially become the Verizon Center. The new logo associated with the new name will also be unveiled on Sunday, March 5, when the Verizon Center hosts its first event: an NBA game between the Washington Wizards and the Sacramento Kings. "We'll have a new name, but fans will have the same great experience," said Washington Sports and Entertainment Chairman Abe Pollin. "We welcome Verizon as our new corporate partner and namesake as we continue to provide premier sports and entertainment events for our nation's capital." "Great moments in sports and entertainment have taken place in the arena that now will be known as the Verizon Center," said John Killian, president of Verizon Business, the business unit created with the merger of Verizon and MCI that provides communications services to large business and government customers around the world. "Verizon looks forward, with the people of the D.C. metropolitan area, to a future packed with more thrills bursting from this great venue." The countdown leading up to the official name change will consist of the following events at the building: * Wednesday, March 1 -- The Wizards play the last NBA game under the MCI name. * Thursday, March 2 -- The last concert is performed under the MCI name, as Coldplay and Fiona Apple take the stage in front of a sold-out crowd and are presented with commemorative tickets backstage. * Friday, March 3 -- The last time the ice will have the MCI Center logo before it is replaced with the new Verizon Center logo. * Saturday, March 4 -- The last time the basketball court will have the MCI Center logo before it is replaced with the new Verizon Center logo. * Sunday, March 5 - The Wizards play the first NBA game at the renamed Verizon Center; 10,000 rally towels detailing the new name will be distributed; a new Web site for the center will be launched (link and a special presentation announcing the new name will take place. * Monday, March 6 -- The Capitals play the first NHL game at the renamed Verizon Center; 10,000 rally towels detailing the new name will be distributed; and a video montage of all the changes that occurred surrounding the name change will be distributed to the local media and posted on the new Verizon Center Web site (link. Additional changes throughout the building will include new signage on the scoreboard and the doors of the main entrances on F Street and G Street, directional signage inside and outside the building, and exterior signage. The center is home to the NBA's Washington Wizards, the NHL's Washington Capitals, the WNBA's Washington Mystics and the Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball team. In the eight years since the center opened, almost 20 million people have attended more than 1,654 events ranging from professional sporting events to concerts to family shows to world-class tournaments and trade shows. In 2005, the center was ranked ninth worldwide among venues according to Billboard magazine, thus continuing its tradition of being a top 10 sports and entertainment venue year after year. MCI Center (soon to be Verizon Center), a state-of-the-art facility, located in downtown Washington, is owned and operated by Washington Sports and Entertainment, LP. WS&ELP also includes the Washington Wizards of the NBA; Ticketmaster, th |
| Richy Mercury 06.03.2006 19:41 |
MCI Center Finally Says Goodbye So we knew it was coming, but now it's finally a reality. The MCI Center is no more -- say hello to the Verizon Center. Our friends at Gallery Place Living stopped by yesterday to see that the change has now been made official, with the signage on the arena finally having been changed to reflect its new corporate sponsor. Of course, the Chinese lettering doesn't seem to have changed as of yet, so bilingual District residents may be somewhat confused. We're curious how long it will take for the name change to stick. After all, there are still people out there that faithfully refer to Reagan Airport as National or DCA, be the decision political or practical. Will the MCI Center ever really become the Verizon Center in District-speak, or should we expect a few years of awkward ads listing the venue as "Verizon Center (formerly MCI Center)"? Let's hope this is the last of the corporate takeovers. |
| Richy Mercury 06.03.2006 19:44 |
'Verizon Center' Will Become Official New Name Mar 5th - 7:14am WASHINGTON - MCI Center has a new name, and it'll be made official during a ceremony on Sunday afternoon. The downtown Washington arena will become the Verizon Center to reflect the acquisition of MCI by Verizon Communications. New signs are already in place at the arena, and plans call for the new Verizon Center logo to appear on the court for Sunday's Wizard's game. Verizon-Washington president Anthony Lewis says the name change is symbolic of the telecommunications industry. Verizon paid about $8.5 billion to purchase MCI, which became a new unit called Verizon Business. Verizon beat out Qwest Communications in a three month bidding war for MCI. Consumer groups opposed the merger, saying it limits competition. One of MCI's assets was the naming contract for the arena, which was signed in 1995 and lasts 20 years. MCI was hobbled by the WorldCom scandal and bankruptcy. |
| Richy Mercury 06.03.2006 19:50 |
Hub of Washington Met Area Indoor Action Gets a New Name Sunday WASHINGTON, March 2 /PRNewswire/ -- In business, sports analogies wear thin very quickly, but for Anthony Lewis, president of Verizon Washington, D.C., the renaming of the MCI Center this weekend is symbolic of the dynamics in the telecommunications industry today. "It's not about a 'face-off,' or 'fouling out,' or even about the dynamics of a mosh pit, though there will always be a lot of that kind of action at the renamed Verizon Center," Lewis said. "The symbolism is simple: Competitive performance, savvy application of resources and a will to win are driving Verizon's business today -- among a host of competitors in numerous product lines. "When the people of Washington see the Verizon Center logo on the arena, on their ticket stubs, on their programs and on the scoreboards, something will resonate within them that Verizon is not just a phone company, a wireless company, a broadband company or a great, new business services company; it is a competitive force that is fostering change and progress across the board." During a ceremony at the arena Sunday afternoon (March 5), the MCI Center name will officially be changed to the Verizon Center. MCI's resources have largely been absorbed into a new business unit, Verizon Business, which provides a host of communications services to large-business and government customers worldwide. One of the former MCI assets was the naming contract for the downtown arena, signed in 1995 and valid for at least 20 years. "The venue's name has been the same since it opened eight years ago, and now it's changing," Lewis noted. "That will remind the patrons of the arena of the dynamics of today's telecommunications industry. "Home and business service reliability; everyday broadband services; super-high-speed Internet access and all digital TV; dependable wireless calling and wireless broadband services; and a host of complex but essential business data services: These are the ways people work and play these days," Lewis said, "and Verizon is into all of it, with a laser focus on technology and customer service. "It's all changing and getting better all the time. I'd like to think the red, black and white logo that goes up on the Washington Sports & Entertainment property reminds us all of those dynamics, that change and that progress," Lewis said. Lewis will be part of the ceremonies on Sunday as the venue is officially renamed the Verizon Center. He will be joined by John Killian, president of the new business unit, Verizon Business. Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE: VZ), a Dow 30 company, is a leader in delivering broadband and other communication innovations to wireline and wireless customers. Verizon operates America's most reliable wireless network, serving 51.3 million customers nationwide; one of the most expansive wholly-owned global IP networks; and one of the nation's premier wireline networks, serving home, business and wholesale customers. Based in New York, Verizon has a diverse workforce of approximately 250,000 and generates annual consolidated operating revenues of approximately $90 billion. For more information, visit link. |