FLA Live Arena facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
FLA Live Arena

FLA Live Arena in 2007
FLA Live Arena Location in Florida Show map of Florida FLA Live Arena Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Former names	National Car Rental Center (1998–2002) Office Depot Center (2002–2005) Bank Atlantic Center (2005–2012) BB&T Center (2012–2021)
Address	1 Panther Parkway
Location	Sunrise, Florida
Coordinates	26°9′30″N 80°19′32″W / 26.15833°N 80.32556°W / 26.15833; -80.32556
Parking	7,045 total spaces
Owner	Broward County, Florida
Operator	Arena Operating Company, Ltd.
Capacity	Basketball: 20,737 Ice Hockey: 19,250 Arena Football: 19,779 Concerts: *End stage 180°: 15,207 *End stage 270°: 19,119 *End stage 360°: 21,371 *Center stage: 22,457 *Theatre: 3,000
Field size	872,000 sq ft (81,000 m2)
Construction
Broke ground	November 8, 1996 (1996-11-08)
Opened	October 3, 1998 (1998-10-03)
Construction cost	US$184 million ($345 million in 2022 dollars )
Architect	Ellerbe Becket
Project manager	Upton & Partners
Structural engineer	Walter P. Moore & Associates
General contractor	Arena Development Company (A joint venture of Centex Rooney/Huber, Hunt & Nichols/Morse Diesel)
Tenants
Florida Panthers (NHL) (1998–present) Florida ThunderCats (NPSL) (1998–1999) Florida Bobcats (AFL) (1999–2001) Florida Pit Bulls (ABA) (2005–2006) Miami Caliente (LFL) (2009–2010)

The FLA Live Arena is a super cool indoor stadium located right next to Sawgrass Mills in Sunrise, Florida. It's the official home of the Florida Panthers, a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League (NHL). This huge building was finished in 1998 and cost about $185 million to build. It has 70 special suites and over 2,600 club seats for fans!

History of the Arena

An aerial shot of FLA Live Arena

FLA Live Arena before a Florida Panthers playoff game

The story of FLA Live Arena began in 1992. That's when Wayne Huizenga helped create a new NHL team, the Florida Panthers. Before they had their own place, the Panthers played at the Miami Arena. This arena was shared with the NBA's Miami Heat.

Building the Arena

In December 1995, plans were shared to build a big community center. This center would be near the Sawgrass Expressway. Broward County gave the green light for construction in February 1996. The Panthers picked the spot for their new home in June 1996.

Architects from Ellerbe Becket had a big challenge. They had only 26 months to build the arena! It needed to be ready by August 30, 1998, for the new NHL season. Even though they usually took longer, they accepted the job.

The arena was built with many special features. It has 70 suites, which are like private viewing rooms. These suites are very large, with comfy leather seats. Building the arena took over 2.3 million hours of work!

Changing Names

During construction, the arena was called the Broward County Civic Center. In July 1998, National Car Rental bought the rights to name the building. This company was owned by Wayne Huizenga. So, the arena became the National Car Rental Center.

The arena officially opened on October 3, 1998. The first event was a concert by Celine Dion. The next day, Elton John performed. The Florida Panthers played their first home game there on October 9, 1998.

Over the years, the arena's name changed a few times:

• In 2002, it became the Office Depot Center. Office Depot is a company with offices nearby.
• In 2005, it changed to the BankAtlantic Center. BankAtlantic was also a local company.
• In 2012, a company called BB&T bought BankAtlantic. So, the arena was renamed the BB&T Center.

Arena Upgrades

The BB&T Center was the largest arena in Florida. In 2011, the arena got new red seats in the lower section. This was part of the Panthers' "We See Red" campaign. In 2012, new "Club Red" seating sections were added. These offer a fancy experience during games.

The arena also has special dining areas. The ADT Club offers food and drinks. Duffy's Sky Club is a large space for many guests. The Penalty Box and Legends Lounge also offer places to eat and relax.

In 2013, Broward County helped fund a brand new scoreboard. This huge scoreboard made its debut for the Panthers' home opener in October 2013.

In 2019, BB&T merged with another bank. The new company decided not to keep the naming rights after 2021. So, the arena is now temporarily called FLA Live Arena while they look for a new naming partner.

Concerts and Shows

The FLA Live Arena has hosted many famous musicians and bands. It's a popular spot for big concerts!

Notable Events

Besides concerts, FLA Live Arena has hosted many other exciting events!

NHL Hockey Events

• The Florida Panthers hosted the NHL's player drafts in 2001 and 2015. This is where teams pick new players.
• The arena was home to the 2003 NHL All-Star Game on February 2, 2003. The Western Conference team won! This game also featured the first "official" shootout in the NHL.
• The arena was supposed to host the 2021 NHL All-Star game, but it was canceled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• It did host the 2023 NHL All-Star Game on February 4, 2023.
• The arena also hosted games three and four of the 2023 Stanley Cup Finals, which is the championship series for the NHL!

Combat Sports

The arena has held many exciting boxing and mixed martial arts (MMA) events.

• EliteXC: Heat took place here on October 4, 2008.
• Strikeforce MMA made its debut at the arena in January 2010.
• The first UFC event at the arena was UFC on FX 3 on June 8, 2012.
• UFC returned on April 27, 2019, for UFC Fight Night: Jacaré vs. Hermansson.
• An exhibition boxing match between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and John Gotti III was held on June 11, 2023.

Professional Wrestling

Big wrestling shows have also taken place at the arena:

• WCW Bash At The Beach on July 11, 1999.
• WWF Armageddon on December 12, 1999.
• WWE Armageddon on December 15, 2002.

Other Special Events

• The Professional Bull Riders brought their tour to the arena in September 2005.
• Important political rallies have been held here. Senator Barack Obama held rallies in 2008. Candidate Donald Trump held rallies in 2016 and 2019.
• On February 21, 2018, the arena hosted a CNN town hall meeting about gun safety. This was in response to the nearby Stoneman Douglas High School shooting. Many survivors and families attended.
• On June 27, 2018, a public memorial was held for rapper XXXTentacion at the arena.

Regular Events

Inside the then-named Bank Atlantic Center during a Florida Panthers game in 2008

Besides the Florida Panthers, other sports teams have called this arena home in the past. These include:

• The Florida Pit Bulls (basketball)
• The Miami Caliente (football)
• The Florida Bobcats (arena football)
• The Florida ThunderCats (indoor soccer)

The arena also hosts the Orange Bowl Basketball Classic every December. This event is connected to the famous Orange Bowl college football game.

Arena Information

FLA Live Arena is a huge and versatile building. It can change its setup for different events.

Seating Capacity

• For Basketball: 20,737 seats
• For Hockey: 19,250 seats
• For concerts (end-stage): 15,207 to 23,000 seats
• For concerts (center-stage): Up to 25,000 seats
• The arena floor has about 17,000 square feet of space. This is used for trade shows, circuses, and ice shows.

Parking and Loading

The arena has plenty of parking for visitors and staff.

• Total parking spaces: 7,045
• There are also special loading docks for trucks. These are used to bring in equipment for events.

Food and Shops

You can find many places to eat and shop inside the arena.

• On the Plaza Level, there are three food courts and a Pantherland Retail store.
• On the Mezzanine Level, there are three more food courts.