When UBS Arena opens for the 2021-22 NHL Season, it will ostensibly be known as the home of the New York Islanders – but as their tagline goes, the arena is “built for hockey, but made for music.”
That’s a function of the 50/50 partnership in the development of the site between the Islanders and Oak View Group, a sports and live entertainment development company fronted by two men representing each of the worlds: former Ticketmaster and Live Nation executive Irving Azoff, and ex-AEG and Maple Leaf Sports exec Tim Leiweke.
“It’s the first time I’ve ever been involved in building an arena, and in our role as equity partners and arena developers, it took a little while for us to find our balance with Scott and Jon’s vision for where they wanted to take the team and the arena,” OVG CEO Leiweke told WFAN, referencing Islanders owners Scott Malkin and Jon Ledecky. “This is a different role for me and my company, but it gave me a perspective on the…
