AmericanAirlines Arena
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| AmericanAirlines Arena | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Location | 601 Biscayne Boulevard, Miami, Florida, 33132 |
| Opened | December 31, 1999 |
| Owner | Miami Sports and Entertainment Authority |
| Operator | Leisure Management International |
| Construction cost | $175 million |
| Architect | Arquitectonica & 360 Architecture (formerly Heinlein Schrock Stearns) |
| Tenants | |
| Miami Heat (NBA) (2000-present) Miami Sol (WNBA) (2000-2002) |
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| Capacity | |
| 19,600 (With upper levels) 16,000 (Without upper levels)
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The AmericanAirlines Arena is an arena located in downtown Miami, Florida along Biscayne Bay and is used for basketball games and concerts. It was constructed as a replacement for the Miami Arena and was designed by the architecture firms Arquitectonica and 360 Architecture.
The AmericanAirlines Arena is home to the Miami Heat of the NBA.
The WNBA team Miami Sol played at the arena from the team's birth in 2000 to the team's folding in 2002.
[edit] History
Approved by voter referendum in 1996, American Airlines purchased the naming rights in 1999 for $42 million over 20 years [1].
In November 1998, construction of the new arena was delayed following a fire in the upper section of the facility. On December 31, 1999, the AmericanAirlines Arena opened. The first event was a Gloria Estefan concert. Two days later, on January 2, 2000, the Miami Heat played their first game in the new arena.
[edit] Other notes
- The AmericanAirlines Arena is not to be confused with American Airlines Center, which is located in Dallas, Texas.
- The AmericanAirlines Arena as well as the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas hosted the 2006 NBA Finals, in which the Miami Heat played the Dallas Mavericks. Because of this, the series was nicknamed by some as the American Airlines series.
- As part of its sponsorship arrangement, American Airlines had a giant aircraft painted on top of the arena's roof, with an American Airlines logo in the center. The design is visible from airplanes taking off and landing at Miami International Airport, where American has a hub. The arena also has luxury skyboxes called "Flagship Lounges," a trademark originally used for American's premium-class lounges at certain airports.
- The arena was the setting for the highly publicized MTV Video Music Awards, both in 2004 and 2005. Both events brought millions of dollars into the Miami-Dade County economy.
- The AAA is scheduled to play host to 1st and 2nd round games in the 2009 NCAA Tournament.
- Local sportscasters often refer to the arena as the "triple-A". Some sports reporters on the local news stations such as WSVN have referred to the arena as "A3" (A cubed).
- The arena is known for its unusual scoreboard, which changes colors depending on the atmosphere.
- The Waterfront Theater is a theater within the arena that can seat between 3,000 and 5,800. It is Florida's largest theater and can be used for not only concerts but also family and Broadway and other stage shows.
- For concerts in an arena configuration, end stage capacity is 12,202 for 180-degree shows, 15,402 for 270-degree shows, 18,309 for 360-degree shows. For center stage concerts the arena can seat 19,146.
- The AmericanAirlines Arena hosted WCW Uncensored 2000.
- The arena hosted World Wrestling Entertainment's RAW on January 1, 2007, Royal Rumble event on January 29, 2006, and will host Survivor Series (2007) on November 18, 2007.
- The AmericanAirlines Arena also hosted the first UFC event in the state of Florida, UFC 42: Sudden Impact, on April 25th, 2003.
- Two shows of the US leg of Madonna's Confessions Tour recently took place at the arena, in late July.
- Latin mega-star Shakira held 5 shows for her North American leg of the Oral Fixation Tour in the arena; 2 in September and 3 in December.
- The arena was featured in the 2004 Xbox game Driv3r
[edit] External links
| Preceded by Miami Arena 1988–1999 |
Home of the Miami Heat 1999–present |
Succeeded by current |
