FTX Arena Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
FTX Arena
Construction

FTX Arena in 2012 (then named American Airlines Arena)
FTX Arena Location in Miami Show map of Miami FTX Arena Location in Florida Show map of Florida FTX Arena Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Former names	American Airlines Arena (1999–2021)
Address	601 Biscayne Boulevard
Location	Miami, Florida
Coordinates	25°46′53″N 80°11′17″W / 25.78139°N 80.18806°W / 25.78139; -80.18806
Public transit	Historic Overtown/Lyric Theatre MiamiCentral Freedom Tower Park West
Parking	939 parking spaces
Owner	Miami-Dade County
Operator	Basketball Properties Ltd.
Capacity	Basketball: 19,600; 16,500 (Without upper levels) Concerts: 5,000-20,021
Surface	Multi-surface
Broke ground	February 6, 1998
Opened	December 31, 1999
Construction cost	US$213 million
Architect	Arquitectonica 360 Architecture (formerly Heinlein Schrock Stearns)
Project manager	Parsons Brinckerhoff
Structural engineer	Thornton Tomasetti
Services engineer	Flack+Kurtz
General contractor	Morse-Diesel/Odebrecht/Facchina
Main contractors	John J. Kirlin, LLC Simpson Constructors Crown Corr Inc.
Tenants
Miami Heat (NBA) (2000–present) Miami Sol (WNBA) (2000–2002)

The FTX Arena is a big sports and entertainment building in Miami, Florida. It sits right next to Biscayne Bay. It used to be called the American Airlines Arena for many years.

This arena was built starting in 1998. It replaced an older stadium called the Miami Arena. The famous architecture companies Arquitectonica and 360 Architecture designed it. Today, it is the home court for the Miami Heat, a professional basketball team in the National Basketball Association (NBA).

The FTX Arena is easy to get to by public transport. You can use the Miami Metrorail or Metromover. There are stations like Freedom Tower and Park West nearby.

Inside, the arena has many special seats. There are over 2,100 club seats and 80 luxury suites. It also has Florida's largest theater, called the Waterfront Theater. This theater can hold between 3,000 and 5,800 people. It is used for concerts, family shows, and musicals.

In 2021, the arena got its current name, FTX Arena. A company called FTX, which deals with cryptocurrency, bought the rights to name the arena. This deal cost $135 million.

History of the Arena
Getting to the Arena
- Public Transportation
- Parking at the Arena
Exciting Events at the Arena
Gallery
Images for kids
See also

History of the Arena

The arena first opened its doors on December 31, 1999. It was known as the American Airlines Arena back then. Building it cost about $213 million. The very first event there was a concert by Gloria Estefan.

Just two days later, on January 2, 2000, the Miami Heat played their first game in their new home. They won against the Orlando Magic with a score of 111–103.

The main front of the arena at night

As part of the naming deal, American Airlines had a huge airplane painted on the arena's roof. This design included the American Airlines logo. You could see it clearly from planes flying in and out of Miami International Airport.

People often called the arena the "Triple-A" or "A³". The arena has a very unique scoreboard. It was designed by an artist named Christopher Janney. This scoreboard looks like underwater anemones and changes colors.

In 2019, American Airlines decided not to renew their naming rights. The arena kept the American Airlines Arena name for a while. Then, in March 2021, FTX bought the naming rights. The new name, FTX Arena, officially started in June 2021.

Getting to the Arena

Public Transportation

The arena as seen from Freedom Tower station.

Driving to the arena can sometimes mean getting stuck in traffic. It is often better to use public transportation. You can take the Metrorail, Metromover, or Metrobus.

The Metromover is free to ride. Its Freedom Tower station is only two blocks from the arena. The closest Metrorail stations are Government Center and Historic Overtown. You can connect to the Metrorail from the Metromover at Government Center station.

Parking at the Arena

The arena has 939 parking spaces on site. These spaces are usually saved for special ticket holders during Miami Heat games.

Exciting Events at the Arena

Basketball Games

The arena during Game 3 of the 2006 NBA Finals

The arena has hosted many big basketball games. It was one of the venues for the 2006 NBA Finals and the 2011 NBA Finals. In both series, the Miami Heat played against the Dallas Mavericks. The Heat won the championship in 2006. The Mavericks won the rematch in 2011. Since American Airlines had naming rights to both arenas, people called these games the "American Airlines series."

The arena also hosted the 2012, 2013, and 2014 NBA Finals.

In 2012, the Heat beat the Oklahoma City Thunder to win the championship at home.
In 2013, the Heat played the San Antonio Spurs. The Heat came back from being behind to win their second straight championship.
In 2014, the Spurs won against the Heat in a rematch.

Since 2015, the arena has also hosted the Hoophall Miami Invitational. This is a yearly event for NCAA Division I college basketball teams.

Professional Wrestling Shows

The arena has been home to major professional wrestling events. It hosted WCW Uncensored in 2000. It has also hosted four big WWE events:

Royal Rumble in 2006
Survivor Series in 2007 and 2010
Hell in a Cell in 2013

Other Sports Events

The arena hosted the first UFC event in Florida. This was UFC 42: Sudden Impact in 2003.

Even though it is a basketball arena, it can be set up for NHL ice hockey. However, it has never hosted an NHL game. The Florida Panthers hockey team plays in a different arena nearby. The ice rink is used for ice shows like Disney on Ice.

The Waterfront Theatre inside the arena hosted the 2020 NFL Honors. This event celebrates the best players and moments from the NFL season.

Music Concerts

Shakira has performed 9 sold-out shows at FTX Arena, more than any other artist.

Many famous music artists have performed at the FTX Arena.

Mariah Carey performed here in 2000.
Cher had two shows here in 2002 for an NBC TV special.
Britney Spears has performed several times. In 2009, her The Circus Starring Britney Spears Tour set an attendance record for a concert.
The 2004 MTV Video Music Awards and 2005 MTV Video Music Awards were held at the arena. These events brought a lot of money to the Miami area.
U2 brought their Vertigo Tour to the arena in 2005.
Shakira has performed at the arena many times. She holds the record for the most sold-out shows by a female artist, with 9 performances.
Justin Bieber has performed five sold-out shows at the arena over the years.
Lady Gaga performed here in 2011 for The Monster Ball Tour.
Jennifer Lopez performed several sold-out shows for her Dance Again World Tour and It's My Party Tour.
Madonna filmed her MDNA World Tour DVD here in 2012.
Miley Cyrus performed three sold-out concerts at the arena.
Hillsong United recorded a live CD/DVD here in 2011.
One Direction had a sold-out show here in 2013.
Katy Perry performed here for The Prismatic World Tour and Witness: The Tour.
Ariana Grande performed multiple times for her The Honeymoon Tour, Dangerous Woman Tour, and Sweetener World Tour.
Taylor Swift performed at the arena for her Speak Now World Tour, The Red Tour, and The 1989 World Tour.
Adele performed two sold-out concerts here in 2016.