MILWAUKEE — The Milwaukee Bucks are looking for a company willing to pay $3-4 million for the naming rights to the Deer District.
According to our partners at the Milwaukee Business Journal, the Bucks are hoping to monetize on the large crowds expected outside Fiserv Forum for the NBA Playoffs.
The Bucks have been looking to put a corporate name on the space for a while but haven't had any takers. The Milwaukee Business Journal reported that Bucks President Peter Feign said it has an asking price of $3 million to $4 million.
Milwaukee's Deer District saw crowds of 65,000+ during the Bucks championship run in July 2021, and the space is still developing. There'sa new hotel currently under constructionand plans for more office space and residential construction.
Feign told the Milwaukee Business Journal that the Bucks want to host events in the Deer Districtyear-round, including un-ticketed events with their Live Nation partners.
"The value is only increasing when we get to everything from music, to food festivals to beginning and ending of road races to Holiday Markets," Feign said.
The Bucks president said there is some urgency to get naming rights before the playoffs, saying the Bucks value proposition is that a company could own the real estate during large global events like the NBA finals or the Republican National Convention if the city is able to land that.
However, Feign wants to promote the Deer District year-round, not just on big nights.
"How do we also curate concerts outside, scheduled events, festivals, fairs and markets to continue to promote Deer District as a destination not just on playoff game nights but around the year?" Feigin said.
This comes as Fiserv Forum is scheduled to host NCAA games beginning on Friday when the Badgers play. Thetournament alone is expected to bring $6.5 million to Milwaukee.
