New State Fair Coliseum

[Dob Hooligan]

Yeah I don't care how innocent and likely irrelevant this is to utility rates...the optics are terrible without considering the fact that they won't disclose the numbers around the deal. The lack of transparency just adds gas to the fire.

I don't understand why anyone is bothered. Utilities advertise. Every day. Utilities pay naming rights to stadiums and arenas all over America. Probably worldwide. It bugs me when Storme Jones on KWTV9 runs a story about this outrage and the next commercial is for ONG! Nobody is demanding KWTV9 disclose how much OG&E is paying for each spot.

[bison34]

Man, we gotta have the FBI investigate NRG Stadium and the Xcel Energy Center. Let's double-waste taxpayer money.

[scottk]

I don't understand why anyone is bothered. Utilities advertise. Every day.

I don't understand why they advertise when their services are essentially the sole option in a community. Live in OKC, you get OG&E. Live in Edmond, you get Edmond Electric. Tulsa has PSO and so on.

OG&E naming rights don't impact my decision, or lack there of, from using them as my electric provider in Oklahoma City. It is what it is.

In reality it should be called "Oklahoma City Tax Payer's State Fair Colosseum....powered by OG&E"

[jn1780]

I don't understand why they advertise when their services are essentially the sole option in a community. Live in OKC, you get OG&E. Live in Edmond, you get Edmond Electric. Tulsa has PSO and so on.

OG&E naming rights don't impact my decision, or lack there of, from using them as my electric provider in Oklahoma City. It is what it is.

In reality it should be called "Oklahoma City Tax Payer's State Fair Colosseum....powered by OG&E"

I think the main reasons are selling stock, PR, line safety ads, and promote wind energy options which really just falls under PR.

[mugofbeer]

If they rolled advertising $ into providing the highest quality customer service, not asking for unnecessary rate hikes, and providing higher HVAC relacement subsidies, they wouldn't need to "build a brand." Bank the advertising $ and use it to replace lines or absorb future unexpected cost spikes.

[bison34]

Oklahoma has some of the cheapest electric rates. I am not sure why people hate on OG&E. There are fortune 500 utilities companies. Seems weird to constantly bash OG&E like they are some insanely expensive service provider.

https://www.energybot.com/electricit...ilowatt%2Dhour.

[Mississippi Blues]

I have nothing to argue, just wanted to say I have a soft spot for the more traditional arena names. Kansas City Municipal Auditorium, San Francisco Exposition Auditorium, Stockyards/Oklahoma Coliseum, etc all sound sweet and simple to me.

[mugofbeer]

Oklahoma has some of the cheapest electric rates. I am not sure why people hate on OG&E. There are fortune 500 utilities companies. Seems weird to constantly bash OG&E like they are some insanely expensive service provider.

https://www.energybot.com/electricit...ilowatt%2Dhour.

As for me, l'm not hating on them. I just agree their advertisements are a waste of money. It's the same as l despise pharmaceutical companies endlessly advertising prescription drugs then jacking up drug prices.

[scottk]

As for me, l'm not hating on them. I just agree their advertisements are a waste of money. It's the same as l despise pharmaceutical companies endlessly advertising prescription drugs then jacking up drug prices.

If the pharmacy companies stopped advertising, then would 24/7 news channels would fold since they would have no advertisers, and prescription prices could actually lower? Sounds like a win win.

As for State Fair Arena, due to how the arena is used (plenty of civic and community events) versus Paycom Center, I wish they would have done something to honor the city or its leadership versus going the corporate sponsor route.

Arrowhead Stadium for the KC Chiefs added the "GEHA Field at Arrowhead" a few years back, outside of press releases and forced statements by team ownership, I think all fans still refer to it just as "Arrowhead," I would assume the same would be true for OKC's State Fair Arena.

[bison34]

If the pharmacy companies stopped advertising, then would 24/7 news channels would fold since they would have no advertisers, and prescription prices could actually lower? Sounds like a win win.

As for State Fair Arena, due to how the arena is used (plenty of civic and community events) versus Paycom Center, I wish they would have done something to honor the city or its leadership versus going the corporate sponsor route.

Arrowhead Stadium for the KC Chiefs added the "GEHA Field at Arrowhead" a few years back, outside of press releases and forced statements by team ownership, I think all fans still refer to it just as "Arrowhead," I would assume the same would be true for OKC's State Fair Arena.

I mean, the original article I saw said that the project was over-budget, and this is helping ease that. Maybe I misread the story, though.

[jn1780]

As for me, l'm not hating on them. I just agree their advertisements are a waste of money. It's the same as l despise pharmaceutical companies endlessly advertising prescription drugs then jacking up drug prices.

Makes a whole lot more sense for pharmaceutical companies to advertise. Gets patients to go to their doctors which then prescribe the drug. Win win for doctors and drug companies. We just end up with an overly medicated nation.

[Laramie]

The 'naming rights' usually shines a light on the brand of the holder. The concern with non-traditional naming rights, the names can sometimes get quite lengthy (OG&E Field at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium).

Glad to hear 'OG&E Coliseum' will be a simpler coliseum name. As to why they do not want the costs of 'naming rights' disclosed is a real head scratcher IMO.

The new coliseum will address the needs of the current tenants. It will not be large enough IMO to attract ECHL 'AA' hockey to the city with a seating capacity in the 5,000-seat range. OG&E Coliseum will be busy hosting events the SFA once hosted.

Also, don't look for the $900 million new DT arena to include NHL (Over saturated OKC market) or ECHL 'AA' hockey.

[AnguisHerba]

If I had to guess, I would bet the City doesn't want the dollar amount to be public so that it is not somehow leveraged in future naming rights deals, such as the $1B arena they're about to build.

[bison34]

If I had to guess, I would bet the City doesn't want the dollar amount to be public so that it is not somehow leveraged in future naming rights deals, such as the $1B arena they're about to build.

Paycom will have those rights as long as the Thunder are the tenant of the new arena... the naming rights agreement is with them, not the city.

[mugofbeer]

Makes a whole lot more sense for pharmaceutical companies to advertise. Gets patients to go to their doctors which then prescribe the drug. Win win for doctors and drug companies. We just end up with an overly medicated nation.

And idiotically high prices.

[Rover]

And idiotically high prices.

That is a gross oversimplification and doesn’t address most of the real issues. The way the system works with pharmaceuticals, PBMs, and pharmacies is a real problem, not to mention the insurance companies. You’d be shocked at the difference in pricing between pharmacies. Download this app and find the lowest prices. It’s like GasBuddies, but for Rx. Www.healthpointfast.com.

[mugofbeer]

Thank you!

[AnguisHerba]

Paycom will have those rights as long as the Thunder are the tenant of the new arena... the naming rights agreement is with them, not the city.

Oh, I didn't know that. Thanks!

[bombermwc]

Apparently the OKC Blue won their title game this week. Here I am having to look up to see where they even play because I haven't heard anything about them, like at all, for years. Turns out they play at the Paycom???!!! For a leave that averages about 2k people per game, that seems like a super oversized venue.

Soooo, any thoughts on if the fairgrounds arena would be a better fit? Their season lines up with the state basketball tournament so there's a LOT of activity in that range of time. But it would feel a LOT less empty in there than it would in the new arena too.

[Rover]

Apparently the OKC Blue won their title game this week. Here I am having to look up to see where they even play because I haven't heard anything about them, like at all, for years. Turns out they play at the Paycom???!!! For a leave that averages about 2k people per game, that seems like a super oversized venue.

Soooo, any thoughts on if the fairgrounds arena would be a better fit? Their season lines up with the state basketball tournament so there's a LOT of activity in that range of time. But it would feel a LOT less empty in there than it would in the new arena too.

The Thunder own the Blue. Having the Blue play at Paycom is an advantage for Thunder players who are on two way contracts and ones sent back and forth. It is less about the seating capacity.

[Pete]

The Blue played at the Cox Center until the deal with Prairie Surf, where the City had to pay to relocate them.