Downtown arena will be TD Coliseum
Oak View Group announced a multi-year naming rights deal Wednesday, while also revealing that an AHL hockey team will be part of the tenant mix beginning in September 2026.
Hamilton’s coliseum is back.
Just minutes after the official announcement on Wednesday morning that the city’s downtown arena will be called TD Coliseum, a large new digital sign outside was broadcasting the name.
Alongside that announcement came the news that an American Hockey League (AHL) will be part of the venue’s tenant mix.
Venue developer and operator Oak View Group (OVG) did not reveal details of the naming rights deal, including its monetary value or the how many years it will be in place.
Tom Pistore, president of Oak View Group Canada, would only say TD, North America’s sixth-largest bank, is making a “significant investment” in a multi-year deal.
“This sponsorship goes far beyond naming rights – it reflects a shared commitment to delivering world-class experiences and making a lasting impact where it matters most: in the heart of the communities we serve,” Tim Leiweke, chair and CEO of OVG said in a press release.
“We’re proud to join forces on this transformative project and to welcome TD as the official naming rights partners of this storied venue. This milestone represents more than a financial investment – it’s a powerful affirmation of the Hamilton’s growth, vibrancy, and bright future.”
An announcement of an opening act for the venue will come in about a month, and it involves “one of the most important music icons today,” said Pistore.
Also to come are the details of a deal with an AHL hockey franchise to begin in September 2026, says Pistore.
“We are committed and confident that we will have an AHL franchise return to Hamilton,” he said Wednesday. “We are working very hard with the City of Hamilton on a practice facility.”
Of course, Hamilton was 19-year home of the Bulldogs, which played in the AHL before shifting to St. John’s. The AHL, the primary developmental league of the NHL, is comprised of 32 teams, including six in Canada.
OVG has hosted several tours of the venue during the construction, which begin in May 2024. About 300 workers are on site, and the project remains on time and on budget, Pistore said.
Retaining the exterior walls, the seating bowl, three concrete concourses and the roof, OVG is investing $300-million in Hamilton’s 18,000-seat arena.
“We are proud to take part in the revitalization of this iconic landmark,” said Raymond Chun, group president and CEO of TD Bank Group. “By securing the naming rights to TD Coliseum, we are not just investing in bricks and mortar – we’re investing in the heart of the Hamilton community. TD Coliseum will be a catalyst for community growth and an inclusive space that brings people together. It’s an honour to be part of that vision.”
OVG says the amenities for artists and their crews, the acoustics, the loading facilities and 10 floor-level premium suites will set Hamilton’s arena apart.
Vast areas on the lower and street-level concourse levels that were closed off or used only for storage since the arena opened as Copps Coliseum in November 1985, are now being built out with premium lounges, suites and clubs, bars, concession stands and automated walk-out markets.
Crowds will move in, around and out of the arena in more efficient ways. Waits for concessions and restrooms will be shorter because there will be amenities on all three concourses. Accessibility features will also be enhanced.
OVG, which manages and develops sports venues around the world, has characterized the Hamilton arena as a music-first facility that will also host sports.
"TD Coliseum represents the next chapter for live music in Hamilton and the Golden Horseshoe," said Live Nation Canada chair Riley O'Connor. Live Nation is a partner in the development.
"With the modernization of TD Coliseum, we know artists and fans will have an unforgettable experience."
The venue’s new name is the latest in a series of announcements for the York Boulevard arena.
The first announced show is a sold-out Andrea Bocelli concert on Dec. 9. It will be the world-renowned tenor’s first appearance in Hamilton. TD Coliseum will also host the 2026 JUNOS next spring, marking the seventh time, and the first since 2015 that Hamilton has hosted what’s dubbed “Canada’s biggest night in music.”
Last month, it was revealed that celebrity chef Matty Matheson will open a street-level, 9,500-square-foot full-service restaurant called Iron Cow Public House at the arena. The restaurant will be open for lunch and dinner whether or not the arena has an event, and will include a speakeasy-style pub.
Matheson and his restaurant group, Our House H.C., will also design and curate the menu for three arena concession stands that will feature items from his establishments, Matty’s Patty’s and Rizzo’s House of Parm. Along with OVG Hospitality, other Matheson concepts will be introduced within the arena for premium suites and food and beverage.
“I think we can rebuild an entire city,” Leiweke said during an on-stage discussion with Matheson at a Toronto music event.
“We’ve built arenas but we haven’t yet reinvigorated a city. Hamilton is dying to be rediscovered and rebuilt.”
OVG was founded in 2015 by Leiweke, former president of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, and Irving Azoff, longtime music manager and former CEO of Ticketmaster. It has grown into the largest sports and entertainment developer in the world, with 400 arenas, stadiums, performing arts centres, culture institutions and convention centres worldwide under management. OVG has projects underway in Sao Paulo, Brazil and Cardiff, Wales and has committed $5 billion to developments over the next three years.
