Farewell, FTX Arena: Judge Grants Permission To Kill Miami Heat Naming Rights Deal

FTX Arena
Bisnow/Alex Gratereaux
The Miami Heat's Arena, Previously Known As Ftx Arena

Miami-Dade County officially ended its naming rights partnership with crypto exchange firm FTX after a federal bankruptcy judge granted the county's request to remove the company's signage from the Miami Heat's arena.

The deal fell through after FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried was arrested and charged with eight criminal counts in December, including wire fraud and conspiracy to mislead investors. Until a new sponsor is secured, the stadium, which sits in the heart of downtown Miami, will be referred to as “the Arena,” the Miami Herald reports.

Dade County asked a federal bankruptcy court for approval to terminate the deal with FTX in November. The county sought to exit the 19-year, $135M sponsorship deal it signed with FTX in 2021 after it was discovered the company had lost billions in customer deposits.

The county planned to use part of the proceeds from the rights deal for initiatives against gun violence. The facility had previously been called American Airlines Arena.

The bankrupt crypto exchange firm, founded in 2018, allowed users to trade bitcoin, ethereum and other digital currencies. Before its collapse and Bankman-Fried’s arrest, the company was the third-largest crypto exchange house in the world.

FTX’s U.S. division announced plans in September to relocate its headquarters to Miami from Chicago. Miami Mayor Francis Suarez tweeted "Welcome HOME!" when Bankman-Fried announced the move, calling the 30-year-old entrepreneur "one of the most innovative technologists" on the planet.

Less than three months later, Bankman-Fried was arrested in the Bahamas and extradited to the U.S. to face federal criminal charges and Securities and Exchange Commission penalties. He pleaded not guilty Jan. 3 in a New York courtroom and is awaiting trial.

Continue reading this story with a free account

Log in or register
Sign up for more articles like this
Subscribe to Bisnow's South Florida Newsletters
Related Stories

Denver Public Schools' $11M Centennial Hall Purchase Marks Rare Land Sale For ULC

Brandywine Plans To Sell $200M Worth Of Properties In 2027

Developers Question Depth Of Miami's Branded Condo Craze

Pennsylvania Reveals Draft Map Of Areas To Benefit From Opportunity Zones 2.0

Cresa Taps Nathan Knowles As Atlanta Market Leader

Developer Of $3.8B Atlanta Project Discloses $19M Accounting Error

Inter Miami Stadium Subcontractors Sue Over Millions In Unpaid Work

Meet The Women Pushing Boundaries In UK Development

Nonprofit Buys FIU Student Housing Building For $169M: The South Florida Deal Sheet

Despite Foreclosure Litigation, Kaufman Astoria Studios Is Bouncing Back

How Flash Is Turning Parking Into A Performance Asset For CRE Owners

Why Billionaire Andy Ansin Is Self-Funding 2 South Florida Megaprojects