KeyArena now called Climate Pledge Arena after Amazon gets naming rights

Amazon bought the naming rights to Seattle's KeyArena and has renamed it Climate Pledge Arena, the company's founder and CEO, Jeff Bezos, announced Thursday.

"Instead of calling it Amazon Arena, we're naming it Climate Pledge Arena as a regular reminder of the urgent need for climate action," Bezos wrote on Instagram.

"It will be the first net-zero carbon certified arena in the world, generate zero waste from operations and events, and use reclaimed rainwater in the ice system to create the greenest ice in the NHL," the billionaire entrepreneur pledged.

"Our goal is to make sure every visit to this arena will be enjoyable and memorable, and sustainability is a large part of that," Tim Leiweke, the CEO of Oak View Group, said Thursday, according to NHL Seattle's Bob Condor. "It is not just about one arena, it's the platform. We challenge music, facilities, concert tours, and sports. It is our time to step up to face the challenge of our generation. We must take steps to build arenas and stadiums that front-and-center align with our zero-carbon mission statement."

Leiweke and OVG are overseeing the renovation of the building that formerly housed the NBA's SuperSonics and the WNBA's Storm in anticipation of the NHL expansion franchise's on-ice arrival in 2021-22.

The naming of the team itself has been delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as have the renovations, the resumption of which will likely be pushed back by two months. However, that's not expected to impact the team's ability to begin play on schedule.