Tampa’s Amalie Arena has a new name: Benchmark International Arena

Well, that ends the debate on how to pronounce “Amalie.” (It rhymes with “family.”)

At a press conference today, arena officials announced a name change for downtown Tampa’s hockey arena: Benchmark International Arena.

Venue leadership made the announcement today during a press conference that included Tampa Mayor Jane Castor, Hillsborough County Commissioner Ken Hagan, and Doug Ostrover, the new co-owner of Vinik Sports Group and the Tampa Bay Lightning. Hall of Fame Bucs linebacker, and Thunderbug, were also in the building.

The 670,000-square-foot home of the Tampa Bay Lightning first opened in 1996 when it was called the Ice Palace. Despite being the arena being in Tampa, the then-St. Petersburg Times bought rights in 2002 and changed the venue’s name to the St. Pete Times Forum (the name changed to Tampa Bay Times Forum after the paper’s name change in 2011).

Tampa Bay’s Amalie Oil Company got naming rights on the place in 2014; a press release said Amalie will continue to partner with Vinik Sports Group and the Tampa Bay Lighting.

New signage at the arena is expected to debut ahead of the Lightning’s 2025-26 season.

Sports Business Journal reports that the naming is agreement “is for 10 years and ranks among the top five richest for a standalone NHL arena,” but a rep for the new Benchmark International Arena told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay that financials will not be disclosed. “We can confirm it is a multi-year agreement,” the rep added.

Benchmark is a worldwide merger and acquisitions firm which has been headquartered in Tampa since 2010. Its footprint covers three continents including North America, Europe, and Africa. The release added that the company has “closed more than $12.5 billion in transaction value across multiple industries.”

In prepared remarks, Benchmark founder and chairman Steven Keane called the renaming a “monumental step” for his organization. He lauded Vinik Sports Group’s involvement in the community, and said that, “We call Tampa our home.”

Keane said he plans to use Benchmark’s new platform to support initiatives around the city, including those involving financial responsibility and literacy.  “We want our name on the building to stand for more than ‘M&A.’ We want to to stand for a meaningful impact,” he added.

In the meantime, are we all just agreeing to call this place the “BIA”?

This is a developing post.

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This article appears in Aug 7-13, 2025.