The MCI Center, one of Washington DC’s famous sports venues, will officially be renamed the Verizon Center on March 5.
MCI’s resources have largely been absorbed into a new business unit, Verizon Business. One of the former MCI assets was the naming contract for the downtown arena, signed in 1995 and valid for at least 20 years.
“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…a competitive force that is fostering change and progress across the board,” said Anthony Lewis, president of Verizon Washington, DC, in a statement.
The renaming will take place during a ceremony at the arena on Sunday.
“Acquiring the naming asset through the purchase of MCI was very fortuitous,” said Jim Smith, spokesperson at Verizon. “We’re in the process of convincing America that we are a broad band company and an innovator on the cutting edge of data and video services.”
The orange and black sign, which labeled the venue as the MCI Center, has identified the sports complex since it opened eight years ago.
The name change “…will remind the patrons of the arena of the dynamics of today’s telecommunications industry,” Lewis said.
In January, Basking Ridge, NJ-based Verizon Business opened for business with offices in more than 75 countries around the world. The company unveiled a line of integrated services with an ad campaign to introduce and establish the Verizon Business brand in the business marketplace.
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