From here on out, fans will no longer be catching hockey games or attending concerts at “The Forum.
As of Sept. 3, local oil magnate Amalie has purchased the naming rights to the multi-purpose sports facility and changed the name to “Amalie Arena.” Rolls off the tongue nicely, doesn’t it?
While the alliterated name may be easier to pronounce, the majority of Tampa locals likely have no idea what Amalie even is.
“I have never even heard of Amalie,” said sophomore vocal performance major Sam Boatwright. “It’s strange that they changed the name of such a renowned arena.”
Junior music major Steven Card went a step further.
“I’m a bit disappointed that a news outlet that most people in the area respect no longer owns the official stadium name,” he said. “I don’t know much about the oil company but it just doesn’t feel as special.”
Though not a household name, Amalie Oil Co. has actually held roots in Tampa since 1977.
Originally founded in Pennsylvania in 1903, Amalie moved to the Sunshine State in the late seventies due to high interest in the Port of Tampa.
Since then, the company has grown to 250 local employees and is “North America’s largest privately held independent blender of motor oils and industrial lubricants,” according to their official website.
It’s a bit unclear at this point as to why the Tampa Bay Times decided not to upkeep the stadium naming rights, but the decision could be due to financial constraints.
While the Pulitzer-winning Times has been arguably the most successful newspaper in the region, things haven’t been all roses in the past few years.
According to the Tampa Tribune, the Tampa Bay Times Holding Company Revenue dropped from $274 million in 2009 to $151 million in 2012. (Facts and figures from 2013 and 2014 have not been disclosed.)
Additionally, the newspaper took out a $28 million loan recently that is expected to be paid off in December of 2016.
UT alum Jackson Harris, who spent his entire childhood growing up in Tampa, is not surprised that the Times is dropping its name from the venue.
“Everyone knows newspapers are a declining medium and that naming rights for a major sports venue are extremely expensive. That’s why I wasn’t surprised when I saw the Times was dropping theirs,” Harris said. “No one has heard of Amalie Oil but kudos to them, a local business, for snagging this.”
However, Tampa Bay Times CEO Paul Tash insists that the decision did not spawn from a need to save money.
“Is there a better purpose to which we can now spend some of those resources? Probably so. But the decision is not based on that,” he said in an interview with the Times.
All speculations aside, the newspaper is not completely distancing themselves from Tampa’s lone NHL organization.
The Tampa Bay Times will still serve as “the exclusive print partner of the Lightning, Storm, and Amalie Arena,” according to the Lightning’s official website.
Their name may have been erased on the outside of the building, but expect to see plenty of Times signage on the inside of the arena.
On the flip side, Amalie Co. is thrilled to be starting this multi-year partnership with Lightning owner Jeff Vinik. Amalie Co. has been part of the Tampa community for over thirty years and is seeking to expand its brand recognition throughout the region.
“We want to be a part of this community, and we think this is probably the quickest possible way for us to accomplish that.
We’re just thrilled to death we were able to pull this off,” said Amalie Co. President Harry Barkett to Channel 10 News.
If Barkett and his crew are aiming to increase their influence, they’re certainly in the right spot to do so. In the 12 years of The Tampa Bay Times Forum’s existence, the venue hosted the 2004 Stanley Cup Finals, the 2012 Republican National Convention, and even self-proclaimed rap god Kanye West.
Being tied to those big names only increased publicity and notoriety for the newspaper, and will likely do the same for Amalie Co.
Griffin Guinta can be reached at griffin.guinta@spartans.ut.edu