In conjunction with the official grand opening of its Americas headquarters, Bridgestone Americas, Inc. and the Nashville Predators announced Wednesday an additional five-year extension of the naming rights agreement for Bridgestone Arena, home of the Nashville Predators. First signed in March of 2010, the extended terms will ensure Nashville's premier downtown arena continues to bear the Bridgestone brand through 2025.

"Bridgestone is a proud supporter of the Nashville Predators, and it continues to be a great source of pride for our company and our teammates to have the arena bear our name," said Bridgestone Americas President and CEO Gordon Knapp. "Now that our new headquarters building is located across the street from the arena, there's even more of a connection to our city and pro hockey team. Like the rest of the world, we've witnessed the success of both the arena and the Preds, and we are excited to continue our partnership with a local landmark that has helped transform downtown Nashville into one of the top destinations in the country. We look forward to keeping the Bridgestone brand front and center with so many passionate fans of sport, music and the countless other world-class entertainment events hosted by this celebrated venue."

Bridgestone and the Predators agreed to the new extension two years in advance of the conclusion of the previous five-year agreement signed in 2015. Exact terms of the agreement are not being disclosed.

"We're ecstatic to extend our valuable partnership with Bridgestone to ensure the home of the Predators, and one of the greatest venues in North America, continues to be Bridgestone Arena," said Sean Henry, Chief Executive Officer and President, Nashville Predators. "As the Predators gain more traction as a household sports franchise and Bridgestone Arena strengthens its position as a dynamic, must-visit site, it's only fitting that we also bolster our relationship with a world-renowned manufacturing and innovation leader who shares our commitment to the Nashville community."

Since Bridgestone Americas teamed up with the Nashville Predators seven years ago, the arena has skyrocketed to become one of the most successful venues in the U.S. - annually hosting more than one million people in the building - and the Preds were named the "best franchise in sports" in 2017 by ESPN. Along the way, Bridgestone Arena has broken attendance records and achieved a series of industry awards. Recent highlights include:  

• Named 2017 Arena of the Year by the International Entertainment Buyers Association in October
• Named a finalist for Pollstar's Arena of the Year award the 11th consecutive year
• Hosted 52 sold-out Nashville Predators' games including three Stanley Cup Final games
• Ranked seventh in the U.S. and 19th in the world for concert ticket sales in 2017 according to Pollstar
• Home to the 2017 SEC Men's Basketball Tournament, annual Country Music Association (CMA) Awards, and Country Music Television (CMT) Awards

These accomplishments reflect Bridgestone Arena's continued focus on one primary mission, which is to be the No. 1 sports and entertainment venue in North America with a Stanley Cup Champion Nashville Predators franchise as its centerpiece.