BankUnited Acquire Naming Rights to Club Level at Dolphins’ Sun Life Stadium

August 28, 2013

The Miami Dolphins have sold the naming rights to their club level at Sun Life Stadium to BankUnited.

Beginning Thursday, the 10,000-seat stretch of premium seating will be formally known as the BankUnited Club Level. It’s the first time the team has sold branding rights to that section of the facility.

“We are proud to partner with the Miami Dolphins yet again and to have our name associated with one of the premier sporting venues in the country,” said John Kanas, BankUnited chairman, president and CEO. “This is a tremendous branding opportunity for BankUnited.”

Jim Rushton, the Dolphins’ chief revenue officer, added: “Companies understand that sports is an important way to connect to customers. It’s the next evolution in naming rights.”

BankUnited is no stranger to sports branding. The Miami Lakes-based mega-bank, which went through an ownership change during the nation’s financial meltdown, also has owned the naming rights for the University of Miami’s on-campus basketball arena since 2005.

Recently Club level ticket sales are up 20 percent over this time last year, and the Dolphins have sold the most new suites of any NFL team, Rushton said.