The Milwaukee Bucks and Fiserv Inc., a global provider of financial services and technology solutions, have announced that Fiserv has signed an exclusive naming rights agreement for the nearly completed Wisconsin Entertainment and Sports Center, now called Fiserv Forum.
The venue will hold a public celebration of the naming rights agreement on Sunday, August 26th. The arena will serve as home to the Milwaukee Bucks NBA team and the Marquette University Golden Eagles men’s basketball team. It will also host other entertainment events.
The Fiserv brand will be featured on the exterior façade, playing surface, rooftop, and throughout the facility. The arena itself will serve as the centerpiece of a 30-acre business, residential, and entertainment complex in downtown Milwaukee.
Host to more than 200 events annually, Fiserv Forum will welcome artists such as Justin Timberlake, Pink, Elton John, Fleetwood Mac, and the Foo Fighters in its inaugural year. The Killers will headline the grand opening concert on Tuesday, September 4th.
“We are excited to partner with the Milwaukee Bucks to create an unprecedented opportunity to elevate our brand as one of the world’s leading providers of financial technology and payment services,” says Jeff Yabuki, President and CEO of Fiserv. “We also expect this arrangement to further differentiate our brand in support of our purpose of delivering value and excellence to our clients every day.”
Fiserv Forum is designed to showcase the technology and entertainment experiences that consumers expect. Its design pays homage to Milwaukee’s architectural heritage and the region’s environment.
Its façade features a large wall of glass that reveals the events taking place inside the arena. Its arched roof overlaps the glass façade and stretches down to the street level on one side. This sloping section is punctuated with vertical multi-storied glass, which includes ceramic frit patterns.
In collaborating on the name for the arena, the Milwaukee Bucks and Fiserv selected the name “Fiserv Forum” as a nod to the fintech leader’s annual client experience event where technology, financial services, and business professionals gather each year to exchange ideas, learn, and experience new technology.
Like its annual client conference, which bears the same name, this new Fiserv brand touchpoint is designed to showcase unique perspectives and experiences.
“We are proud to become a long-term partner with Fiserv,” say Bucks owners Wes Edens, Marc Lasry, and Jamie Dinan. “It is a dynamic international company with a prominent Wisconsin presence, which deeply shares our commitment to bettering and growing Milwaukee. It was clear from the start of our conversations that the Bucks and Fiserv align perfectly in our goals for innovation and leadership, and carry the same passion for excellence. As Fiserv Forum becomes an internationally recognized venue, we are excited to be an instrumental part of furthering Fiserv’s brand as a leader in its industry. Fiserv Forum will be the entertainment and sporting heart of our city and will deliver memorable experiences for fans and families in Wisconsin for generations to come.”
Yabuki adds, “It’s an honor and privilege to continue the tradition established by Jane Bradley Pettit, whose generosity and love for the Milwaukee community funded the city’s prior arena more than 30 years ago. We are proud to be a part of the transformation and revitalization of our home community that continues to evolve for the better.”