A Los Angeles area credit union is the latest to put its name in lights on an entertainment venue, securing a multi-year deal that removes the banner of the Mattress Firm Amphitheatre.
The naming rights deal has a twist. California Credit Union of Glendale ($3 billion in assets, 163,432 members) is paying to rename it North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre, using the name it applied to the operations of North Island Financial Credit Union after California CU acquired it in early 2017.
The 20,000-seat venue is about 18 miles south of San Diego between Chula Vista and the Mexican border. It opened in 1998 as Coors Amphitheatre with a sell-out concert with the Spice Girls. Concerts this year included Latin singer Luis Miguel, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Paramore, Chris Brown and Weezer.
Recommended For You
Cricket Communications signed a five-year naming rights deal in 2008, making it the Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre from 2008 to 2012. The Sleep Train Inc. based in Rocklin, Calif., signed the next deal and it bore the restful names of Sleep Train Amphitheatre (2012-2017) and Mattress Firm Amphitheatre (2017-2018). Mattress Firm, which had bought Sleep Train in 2017, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy Oct. 4, making the marquee available once again.
In a news release last week, the credit union said it will maintain its presence in other ways, including having an entrance dedicated to members. Members also can receive ticket discounts and exclusive promotions during the April-to-October concert season.
"As we were exploring new avenues to support our community, bring more benefits to our members, and extend our brand awareness, the incredible opportunity to partner with Live Nation at this local venue proved to be a natural fit for both of our brands," California Credit Union President/CEO Steve O'Connell said.
"North Island Credit Union's vision for our member experience aligned seamlessly with Live Nation's commitment to the fan experience," O'Connell said in a news release.
Other credit union naming rights deals involving venues operated by Live Nation include the 5000-seat Charlotte Metro Credit Union Amphitheatre renamed in 2016 by Charlotte Metro Federal Credit Union ($507.9 million in assets, 56,863 members) and the 20,500-seat Coastal Credit Union Music Park in Raleigh renamed by the Raleigh credit union ($3.1 billion in assets, 250,478 members), also in 2016.
As with those deals, neither the credit unions nor Live Nation said how much they were paying for naming rights. Typically, prices vary based on size, age, visibility — and circumstances:
- Idaho Central Credit Union of Chubbuck ($3.9 billion in assets, 323,531 members) agreed in January to pay $10 million for the naming rights for 35 years to 4,200-seat basketball arena being built at the University of Idaho.
- State Employees Credit Union of Baltimore ($3.6 billion in assets, 262,189 members) agreed in 2013 to pay $4.75 million over 10 years to name nearby Towson University's new 5,200-seat basketball arena the SECU Arena.
- The former 70,100-seat Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego was renamed the SDCCU Stadium in 2017 after the San Diego Chargers moved their NFL franchise to Los Angeles. San Diego County Credit Union ($8.4 billion in assets, 398,879 members) acquired the naming rights for $500,000 to be paid through 2018.
After that, the future of the 50-year-old venue is uncertain. Area citizens on Tuesday were voting on whether to allow the property to be sold to San Diego State University or to a group of private investors.
© 2025 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
Jim DuPlessis
Jim covers economic data trends emerging for credit unions, as well as branch news and dividends.
