Marlborough-based Digital Federal Credit Union has inked a deal with the City of Worcester and California-based venue management company Legends Global to extend its naming rights for the City’s arena for another seven years.
Under the agreement, the DCU Center will continue to operate under the DCU name even after the credit union’s merger withCalifornia-based First Tech Federal Credit Union, Amy Peterson, general manager of the venue, said in an email.Amy Peterson, DCU Center general manager PHOTO | COURTESY OF DCU CENTERThe credit union has retained the DCU brand identity following the merger but will eventually take on First Tech’s name and branding, according to a September press release from the credit union.Specifics and timing for changing the DCU Center’s name to reflect the credit union’s changing branding have not been finalized, said John LaHair, director of marketing for the DCU Center.The newest DCU Center sponsorship extension begins at the end of June 2027, when the current deal ends. The agreement runs through June 2034. DCU will pay $600,000 annually in base naming-rights fees, totaling $4.2 million over the life of the deal. The extension was approved during the Worcester Civic Center Commission’s Thursday meeting.The DCU Center PHOTO COURTESY OF DCU CENTERThe agreement includes annual incentive payments tied to performance.The credit union has held the naming rights of the 14,805-seat arena and convention center since March 2005. The arena underwent a $2.2-million upgrade to its sound system in 2025 and a $7-million upgrade to its seating in 2023.The Worcester Civic Center Commission is working on a request to state legislators to earmark additional funding to allow for maintenance and further upgrades at the arena, according to a video of its April meeting.The latest extension comes as the venue hosts the Massachusetts Democratic Party’s Nominating Convention on Friday and Saturday. Eric Casey is the managing editor at Worcester Business Journal, who primarily covers the real estate and banking & finance industries.
