Islanders bring in JetBlue as sponsor as airline looks to expand its presence in New York

To send a clear message in the highly competitive New York market, JetBlue will become the national airline sponsor of the UBS Arena and the Islanders under a new 15-year agreement.

The deal, believed to be the three-year-old arena's largest sponsorship deal after the 20-year naming rights deal with UBS (valued at $17.5 million to $18 million annually), includes the rights to use and exterior signage for the arena's northwest terrace, as well as naming rights for the arena's event level, which will become the JetBlue Runway Level.

The deal also includes a rebranding of the Spotlight Club premium hospitality area and Spotlight Suites to the Mosaic Lounge and Mosaic Suites respectively, in reference to the airline's frequency/loyalty program. Mosaic members will also receive access to a priority lane at the arena's main entrance.

JetBlue flies from LaGuardia (14 miles from UBS Arena) and JFK (7 miles from the arena). The airline is headquartered in Long Island City (16 miles from the venue).

“We are creating a convergence of sports, music and fashion across our entire campus and [JetBlue] “We liked both the consumer and B2B approach to it and we're bundling an asset for them to participate in rather than just selling attention,” said John Collins, operating partner of the Islanders, pointing to the Video Music Awards taking place next week at UBS Arena, as well as the upcoming “luxury retail store” and renovation of the thoroughbred racetrack at Belmont Park, planned for 2026.

Traditionally, few domestic airlines have spent money on sponsorships, and this sector was one of the hardest hit by the COVID lockdown. Regardless of the anomalies of the New York market, this big deal has to raise questions across industries about whether the category will return to sponsorship spending. It's a question I pondered earlier this year in relation to Emirates' big NBA deal.

Delta is a major investor in the New York market (see chart below). JetBlue has focused primarily on the Boston market and owns sponsorship rights for the Boston Marathon, Bruins, Celtics, TD Garden, Patriots and Red Sox – but also has other deals in the New York market.

The Oak View Group was involved in the development of the arena and is selling primary sponsorship assets. “Particularly in the larger centers around the country, that tells me that the [airline] category is back,” said Dan Griffis, president of global partnerships at OVG. “On a local level, it shows that this is not just a game for the hockey season – it's a year-round game for the campus.”

Other official Islanders sponsors include Dime Community Bank, Ford, Heineken, Hyundai, Northwell, Ticketmaster and Verizon.