Uwm Pays $115m For 10-year Naming Rights To Phoenix Arena

United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM) has partnered with the Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury to rename the downtown Phoenix arena Mortgage Matchup Center, effective Friday, under a 10-year, $115 million naming rights agreement.

The name highlights UWM’s platform that connects homebuyers and real estate agents with independent mortgage brokers.

“It’s a massive investment in the broker community,” said Mat Ishbia, president and CEO of UWM, in an interview. “Instead of putting UWM’s name out there, we put Mortgage Matchup because we know that if we can educate more consumers on working with brokers, that helps UWM but also helps consumers.”

More initiatives to come

Ishbia noted that additional initiatives may be introduced at the arena, including the possibility for attendees to meet loan officers in an on-site booth, alongside activations across social media and other channels. Details for broker participation are still being finalized.

The arena, home to the Suns and Mercury, hosts more than 100 sporting and entertainment events annually, catering to a wide range of audiences. Opened in 1992 and renovated in 2021, it has a capacity of 18,000 and welcomes over 2 million guests each year.

Arizona is one of the strongest markets for mortgage brokers, Ishbia said. He expects tens of millions of impressions annually from people seeing the arena’s name. 

Ishbia added, “We’re expecting a 50% to 70% increase — or more — in traffic to our website because of these naming rights, which means 50% to 70% more potential leads for brokers.” Mortgage Matchup already drives about 10 million visits a year.

In addition, Mortgage Matchup has been the official mortgage partner of the NBA and WNBA since May 2024 and will now serve as the official mortgage partner of the Phoenix Suns, Phoenix Mercury and Valley Suns.

The Suns and Mercury were sold to Ishbia in 2023 by Robert Sarver, under a valuation of $4 billion, marking the first ownership change for the teams in nearly two decades.

Since acquiring the teams, Ishbia has made games more accessible by offering over-the-air broadcasts for free and introducing a $2 value menu at events. Ishbia was recently involved in a records dispute with minority owners.