SEC signs new deal with OVO Hydro naming rights extended until 2030

The Scottish Event Campus (SEC), has announced the extension of its relationship with OVO for a further seven years.

The Campus’ flagship live entertainment venue, the OVO Hydro, which celebrated its 10th anniversary in September 2023, will carry the name of the energy supplier until at least 2030.

The partnership renewal, brokered by AEG Global Partnerships, further solidifies what has been a long standing relationship between the two businesses, with the significant alignment of their respective sustainability ambitions cited as a driving factor.

2022 was a landmark year for the OVO Hydro in a number of different ways. The venue welcomed its busiest schedule of live entertainment since opening, and placed number two in industry title Pollstar’s list of best global arenas.

It is ranked number one arena in Europe by ticket sales by the same publication, and has welcomed 1.2 million visitors across 2022/23.

There were also a number of milestones achieved from a sustainability point of view. The OVO Hydro became the first venue in the world to receive ‘Greener Arena Certification’, A Greener Festival’s rigorous, independent certification process which holistically assesses venue operations.

Further, the need for single use plastic cups at live events was eliminated via the introduction of ‘Stack Cups’ which have saved 17 tonnes of carbon, and over 2 million single use pieces of plastic from going to landfill since launch. £5,000 has been donated to music therapy charity Nordoff and Robbins via the scheme.

OVO has provided support and consultation on the Campus’ green credentials, and will continue to do so as part of the relationship’s renewal.

Peter Duthie, Chief Executive at the SEC, added: “OVO has been a hugely valued and supportive partner to the SEC, so it’s the natural choice for us to continue our association with the business until at least 2030.

It’s unusual in our industry for partnerships of this nature to have such longevity, so the continuation of our relationship with OVO is testament to the amount of synergy to be found between our two businesses. We pride ourselves on delivering unforgettable experiences for our guests, and through this partnership some 500,000 of them have been afforded early access to tickets.”

He added: “We’re also hugely proud of our work to make our events, and campus, more sustainable. The support and consultancy that OVO has, and will continue to offer us has been invaluable in the SEC achieving significant milestones like A Greener Arena Certification. We look forward to working with the team to continue this valuable partnership.”

OVO’s CEO Raman Bhatia added:”We’re proud of our work together to drive progress to zero-carbon living. Our ongoing partnership builds on the sustainability commitments we’ve pushed forward together, celebrating the world’s first arena to achieve the A Greener Arena certification.

We will continue to support the OVO Hydro on its ambitious sustainability plans, so fans and artists alike can enjoy a venue that’s supporting our collective net zero goals.”

Liana Mellotte, Senior Director, AEG Global Partnerships, said: “Purposeful partnerships take venues and fan experiences to the next level, and OVO has been able to take this to the next level by using its capabilities to support the venue as it works to become more sustainable.

This is a trend we are seeing across the AEG Global Partnerships portfolio, as businesses look to deliver real, measurable impact against their ESG targets, and we are excited to see this partnership continue to deliver on our joint values and ambitious plans over the next seven years.”

This partnership was brokered by AEG Global Partnerships, part of AEG Europe, which builds customised marketing programs for established and emerging brands, creating some of the most iconic brand partnerships across the UK’s live events and venues.