Jan 5, 2021 | Boxing, Entertainment, General News, Sports
One of the premier casino and entertainment destinations in the United States made a vital pivot during the pandemic to safely host major sports, primarily inside the award-winning Mohegan Sun Arena
UNCASVILLE, CT (January 5, 2021) – 2020 was a historic
year that resulted in every major entertainment venue across the globe shutting down due to the worst pandemic in a century, accounting for billions in lost live entertainment revenue. Mohegan Sun Arena still found a way to stay open and generate a new revenue stream by reimagining itself as a residency broadcast center. Industry leading safety protocols joined the hard-working entertainment division at Mohegan Sun, led by Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment’s (MGE) President of Sports & Entertainment, Tom Cantone – and soon major sporting events (Bellator MMA, SHOWTIME Sports and College Basketball), were planned and executed without fans in attendance. As a result, Mohegan Sun Arena became one of only few venues in the United States open and producing live events. In all, these residencies in 2020 brought in 650+ professional and college athletes competing to audiences stretching in the millions across network TV, pay-per-view, social media platforms and streaming services, the latter of which had huge impacts on increased viewership.
“We wanted to adapt in an impactful way to the unforeseen challenges that Mohegan Sun, especially our award-winning Mohegan Sun Arena, suddenly faced when the pandemic arrived,” said Dave Martinelli, Chief Marketing Officer of Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment (MGE). “These high-profile sporting events that we signed on and in which were successfully and collaboratively ran, did just that.”
The first deal was struck by Cantone this past summer when a historic residency with SHOWTIME Sports and Bellator MMA was made, creating the opportunity for a string of nationally televised and much anticipated sporting events to be featured in Mohegan Sun Arena. These live broadcast events with the ViacomCBS owned SHOWTIME Sports and Bellator MMA, which will continue in 2021, featured Premier Boxing events on SHOWTIME and SHOWTIME Pay-Per-View (PPV) as well as action packed Bellator MMA fights most frequently broadcast on the Paramount Network and CBS Sports Network. The success of the ViacomCBS residencies soon led to additional interest from other major sports – including the NCAA. Martinelli netted a deal to host 25+ Division 1 NCAA men’s and women’s college basketball teams over the course of 10 days in late November and early December 2020. The agreement came together through partnerships with The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and Gazelle Group.
“We created positive momentum with the incredible bubble-site residencies Mohegan Sun Arena hosted for SHOWTIME Boxing and Bellator MMA,” said Cantone. “Our efforts to keep our Arena in action proved how important relationships can be and allowed for additional opportunities such as “Bubbleville” to come to fruition. Through all of these events, comprehensive health and safety standards were carried out with tremendous efficiency by everyone involved, including the healthcare professionals with the Mohegan Tribal Health Department and other healthcare teams assisting us. I’m extremely proud of what our Mohegan Sun management, team members and our partners executed in such a challenging year.”
“Bubbleville,” as it was billed and came to be known in national press coverage ahead of and during its run from November 25th – December 5th of 2020, saw multiple big-time teams from the likes of Villanova, Florida, Virginia, USC, Virginia Tech, Boston College, Uconn and Arizona State take the floor for the start of their seasons. Similar to the boxing and MMA events, in-person crowds were not present though various games were played to national audiences through ESPN networks and the online streaming platform, FLOHOOPS. After unfortunate setbacks to start, where some teams were not able to take part in “Bubbleville,” the tournaments moved forward, in large part due to the strict safety measures enacted and vital testing schedules conducted by Hartford Healthcare and Mirimus, who administered 2,800 tests among teams and staff.
“Bubbleville protocols included all teams, staff and other vital personnel like referees and broadcasters to take saliva based tests upon arrival and during their stay in the bubble,” said Dave Martinelli, Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment’s CMO. “We hit some setbacks just as the games were set to begin, though focus wasn’t lost, and what followed was 10 days of great College Basketball under a tight system of the type rarely seen before at a casino resort destination.”
Villanova’s championship winning head coach, Jay Wright, also commented to APNews mid-way through “Bubbleville” at Mohegan Sun by saying, “You feel safe, you know you can get a game in here and you know the team you’re playing is going to be safe. I think that’s going to be important throughout this year to find environments like this.”
More than 17,000 hotel room nights were booked at Mohegan Sun’s Sky Tower and Earth Tower during these three major sporting deals. In total, Mohegan Sun gained vast exposure on a variety of media platforms including CBS Sports, ESPN, Paramount Network, Showtime Network, YouTube, the Bellator App, DAZN, TV Spots 5 UK and additional streaming services like FLOHOOPS.
“The exposure we were able to receive as part of these opportunities last year was highly significant,” said Jeff Hamilton, President & General Manager of Mohegan Sun. “Bubbleville hosted a game on Thanksgiving night, live on ESPN, where the Arizona StateSun Devils battled and fell to the #4 Villanova Wildcats. This game had a household Television audience of 591,000, equating to nearly 1 million overall potential viewers. This was just one of many big-time national audiences our venue and brand was a part of in 2020.”
Additional highly rated events, live from Mohegan Sun Arena last year, included Bellator 249 (Cyborg vs. Blencowe on October 15th), Bellator 250 (Mousasi vs. Lima on October 29th) and Bellator 254 (Macfarlane vs. Velasquez on December 10th), among others. And one of the most anticipated boxing events came on September 26, 2020, when in a WBC World Middleweight title fight, Jermall Charlo defeated Sergly Derevyanchenko in a 12 round unanimous decision. Boxing history was also made on this night as the fight card included four other World Championship Title fights live from Mohegan Sun Arena and broadcast to viewers worldwide on Showtime Pay-Per-View (PPV). The pandemic created an opportunity to capture a home audience of more than 12 million viewers during the ViacomCBS broadcasts, with ratings in the double digits.
“During an unprecedented year, we found a way to generate a new revenue stream, create impactful brand exposure, fill hotel rooms and bring back an entertainment workforce,” said Cantone. “No virus could kill the spirit of this incredible team who made the words, “Live from Mohegan Sun Arena,” a monumental achievement in 2020.”
ABOUT MOHEGAN SUN ARENA
Mohegan Sun Arena is now ranked consistently among the top venues in the world according to Billboard Magazine, Pollstar and Venues Now and is also consistently ranked top 15 in the world for “All Size Venues.” The award–winning venue was named “#1 Social Media Venue in the World” in 2016 and is a seven–time Academy of Country Music Awards (ACM) national award–winner for “Arena of the Year,” with the most recent recognition coming in 2019. In 2020, Mohegan Sun Arena remained one of the top venues in the world according to year-end reports by both Pollstar and Venues Now. For more information and updates on Mohegan Sun Arena, call 1.888.226.7711 or visit Mohegan Sun.
ABOUT MOHEGAN GAMING & ENTERTAINMENT
Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment (MGE) is a master developer and operator of premier global integrated entertainment resorts, including Mohegan Sun in Uncasville, Connecticut, Inspire in Incheon, South Korea, and Niagara Casinos in Niagara, Canada. MGE is owner, developer, and/or manager of integrated entertainment resorts throughout the United States, including Connecticut, New Jersey, Washington, Pennsylvania, Louisiana, Northern Asia, Niagara Falls, Canada, and coming soon pending regulatory approval, Las Vegas, Nevada. MGE is owner and operator of Connecticut Sun, a professional basketball team in the WNBA and New England Black Wolves, a professional lacrosse team in the National Lacrosse League. For more information on MGE and our properties, visit www.mohegangaming.com.
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Mar 5, 2019 | Comedy, Entertainment, Food & Beverage, General News, Shopping
Irish-Inspired Specials & Celebrations to Take Place Across Property
UNCASVILLE, CT (March 5, 2019) – The luck of the Irish is flowing through Mohegan Sun for St. Patrick’s Day. On Sunday, March 17th, guests can partake in delicious dining specials, enjoy live entertainment, or pick up a limited edition cocotte from Le Creuset. Guests can also stop by Lansdowne Irish Pub & Music House for exciting giveaways throughout the day.
Tom’s Urban is celebrating all March long with St. Madness! Fans of Division I College Basketball can cheer on their bracket picks across 23 hi-definition flat screens and try their luck with Tom’s Two-Handed Stein Hoist, an event that will separate the true fans from the pretenders. Participants of the Two-Handed Stein Hoist will be challenged to see who can hold a 40 oz. glass of their favorite beer airborne the longest. All participants can purchase a 40 oz. glass of Stella Artois for $14.50 and have the glass topped off before the competition begins. The winner gets bragging rights, along with a $50 gift card to use towards a future visit. Guests interested in Tom’s Two-Handed Stein Hoist will have three chances to test their strength: Friday, March 29th, Sunday, March 31st, and Saturday, April 6th.
In addition to the regular menu, guests at Tom’s Urban will be offered a special St. Madness limited menu during the month of March, including:
- Fish & Chips for $17.00
- Bucket O’Buds: 5 bottles of Bud or Bud Light for $30.00
- Guinness pints for $7.00
- Add a shot of Jameson or Baileys for $5
- Irish coffee for $7.00
Make reservations via Tom’s Urban website or call 860.862.8667.
Lansdowne Irish Pub & Music House knows how to go all out for St. Patrick’s Day. Doors open on Sunday, March 17th at 11:30am, and the first 250 people to arrive receive a special gift bag with an engraved Guinness glass and other commemorative items. Those lucky 250 people are automatically part of the Golden Ticket Giveaway – 20 Guinness golden tickets are hidden in the gift bags and whoever finds a ticket wins another prize! Throughout the day, Lansdowne will offer additional giveaways and food & beverage specials.
The regular Lansdowne menu is available all day and includes these special, Irish-inspired dishes:
- Lansdowne loaded skins: golden fried potato skins filled with corned beef and Swiss cheese, topped with house-made coleslaw and served with Russian dressing
- Corned beef and cabbage dinner: slow roasted corned beef brisket, carrots, Yukon potatoes, and cabbage served in a unique house-made brine with mustard and Irish butter on the side
- Shepherd’s pie: classic preparation made with ground lamb and beef, carrots, onions, and herbs, topped with mashed potatoes and baked until golden brown; served with Irish soda bread and butter
Entertainment will be provided by Clan O’ Cleary from Noon – 3:00pm and again from 5:00pm – 8:00pm. Clan O’Cleary is a five-piece band known throughout Connecticut and Rhode Island for playing traditional Irish music and original songs written by members of the group. The unique instrumentation arranged by the band provides a fuller sound to the audience. This is done by incorporating at least 14 instruments associated with Irish music, and playing multiple instruments in addition to singing.
Live entertainment during St. Patrick’s Day will also be provided by The Wolf Den and Comix Roadhouse. Sean McConnell brings southern charm to The Wolf Den starting at 7:00pm. Sean McConnell’s career started with a grassroots following and has quickly attracted the attention of Country icons like Tim MGraw, Martina McBride, Brad Paisley, and more. McConnell’s sound – a warm tenor painting vivid stories over acoustic guitar often cushioned by keys or other strings – has prompted a diverse range of music scenes to warmly claim Sean as one of their own.
St. Patrick’s Day is also Silly Sunday over at the newly renovated Comix Roadhouse, and comedian Pat Oates is bringing the laughs with a show at 8:00pm. Pat is the 2015 winner of Comix Roadhouse’s Last Comix Standing contest, a writer for Laugh Staff and the host of the Pat Oates Is Sad podcast. His crowd work skills are regarded by many of his peers as second to none. Guests who are looking for an earlier show can enjoy house hypnotist Jim Spinnato at 5:00pm. Spinnato’s peformances are a combination of magic, illusion, and comedy; with lots of audience participation.
Seasons Buffet has incorporated a special menu for St. Patrick’s Day. On March 17th, guests can celebrate with corned beef, Irish soda bread, Guinness Stout Irish stew, house-made boxty, shepherd’s pie, steamed cabbage, colcannon, potato salad, cole slaw, macaroni salad, Irish potato salad, health slaw, parsley boiled potatoes, Dubliner coddle, and grilled beef sausage.
On St. Patrick’s Day, various restaurants across property are offering their take on corned beef and cabbage – an Irish favorite. Todd English’s Tuscany is offering house-made Wagyu corned beef, salt cured potatoes, Guinness glazed carrots, and cabbage béchamel for $34.00. Michael Jordan’s 23.sportcafe has corned beef and cabbage served with potatoes, carrots, and grain mustard for $23.00. Pasta Vita is serving corned beef and cabbage dinner for two for $18.95. At Jasper White’s Summer Shack enjoy corned beef and potato croquettes with a pint of green beer for $10.00.
For dessert, stop by Carlo’s Bakery for a leprechaun hat rainbow cake layered with vanilla buttercream and covered with fondant.
Guests can bring the luck of the Irish into the kitchen courtesy of Le Creuset. The Clover Cocotte is back by popular demand in store and on the Le Creuset website for $200 while supplies last.
ABOUT MOHEGAN SUN:
Owned by Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment, Mohegan Sun is one of the largest, most spectacular entertainment, gaming, dining and shopping destinations in the United States. Situated on 185 acres along the Thames River in scenic southeastern Connecticut, Mohegan Sun is home to three unique casinos, 1,600 deluxe hotel rooms, 2 world-class spas, a golf course, over 90 shops, restaurants and bars as well as three award-winning entertainment venues including a 10,000-seat Arena. Mohegan Sun is within easy access of New York, Boston, Hartford and Providence and located 15 minutes from the museums, antique shops and waterfront of Mystic Country. More information is available by calling 1.888.226.7711 or visiting mohegansun.com. Connect with us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and Instagram @mohegansun, view us on YouTube and find us on Snapchat at username MoheganSun.
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Aug 1, 2014 | Entertainment, Special Events, Sports
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced today that it will hold the Hall of Fame Women’s Holiday Showcase o
n Sunday, December 21st at 5:00pm at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT. The defending national champion University of Connecticut will take on UCLA in a game to be televised nationally by ESPN2.
Tickets are $100.00, $25.00 and $12.00 and go on sale Monday, September 15th at 10:00am through Ticketmaster. Ticketmaster customers may log on to ticketmaster.com; call Ticketmaster’s national toll free Charge By Phone number 1.800.745.3000; or visit any Ticketmaster outlet. Tickets will also be available at the Mohegan Sun Box Office starting Tuesday, September 16th subject to availability.
“It is very exciting to announce the first Basketball Hall of Fame Women’s Holiday Showcase at Mohegan Sun Arena,” said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. “We are honored to bring two well-respected women’s basketball programs to compete and appreciate the continued support and partnership of Mohegan Sun.”
The Huskies hold a 2-0 in the all-time series between these two squads. UConn defeated the Bruins, 113-102, on November 17, 1998 in Los Angeles and by a 106-64 score on December 23, 1999 in Connecticut. The 102 points scored by UCLA in the first meeting is tied for the highest point total the Huskies have ever surrendered to an opponent. “It is an honor to be a part of the Basketball Hall of Fame Women’s Holiday Showcase,” UCLA Head Coach Cori Close said. “To be able to play the reigning national champions in Connecticut will be a huge challenge but also a great opportunity. You couldn’t pick a better arena and the state of Connecticut is very passionate about its basketball, so we are very excited to be in this event.”
“I am thrilled to be competing in an event sponsored by the Naismith Memorial Hall ofFame for a second-straight season,” UConn head coach Geno Auriemma said. “UCLA is going to be much improved this season and this matchup promises to be an exciting one. Mohegan Sun Arena is a fun place to play and I am happy that our fans in southeastern Connecticut have this opportunity to come watch us play in their backyard.”
About the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame:
Located in Springfield, Massachusetts, the city where basketball was invented, the NaismithMemorial Basketball Hall of Fame promotes and preserves the game of basketball at every level – professional, collegiate, men and women.
For more information:
Visit us on the web: www.hoophall.com
… on Facebook: www.facebook.com/BBHOF
… on Twitter: @hoophall
… or call 1.877.4.HOOPLA
About Mohegan Sun:
Mohegan Sun Arena is now ranked consistently among the top venues in the world according to Billboard Magazine, Pollstar and Venues Today. It has won “Casino of The Year” at the Country Music Awards in 2008 & 2010 and in 2013, was voted “Arena Of The Year” at the G2E Global Gaming Conference in Las Vegas. Also in 2013, Mohegan Sun won “Casino of The Year” in 2 categories at the Academy of Country Music Awards. For more information on concerts and other great events at Mohegan Sun, visit mohegansun.com. For information on this week’s schedule, call the Entertainment and Special Events hotline at 1.888.226.7711, ext. 27163.
Basketball Hall of Fame Media Contact:
Natalie Caldwell, Position Sports
(480) 652-0097
[email protected]
Nov 13, 2013 | Entertainment, Special Events, Sports
Tickets for the inaugural Championship taking place at Mohegan Sun Arena available on November 15th
UNCASVILLE, CT (November 13, 2013) — All-session ticket packages for the 2014 American Athletic Conference Women’s Basketball Championship will go on sale Friday, November 15th, at 10:00am via all Ticketmaster outlets. The championship will be played at Mohegan Sun Arena, March 7-10, 2014.
All 10 American teams will battle for the conference’s automatic NCAA tournament bid. The 2014 American Women’s Basketball Championship will showcase the 2013 defending national champion UConn, national runner-up Louisville, NCAA Tournament participant USF, and two WNIT competitors in Memphis and SMU. UCF, Cincinnati, Houston, Rutgers, and Temple will also contend for the title.
Package tickets to all nine games of the championship will be priced at $99.00 each, discounted by nearly one third of the face value. Ticket offices at all 10 American institutions will have all-session packages available, and tickets may also be purchased at the Mohegan Sun Box Office beginning November 15th, subject to availability.
Tickets can also be acquired by phone or online. To purchase via phone, call Ticketmaster at 1.800.745.3000. Both the Mohegan Sun website and Ticketmaster will have packages available for online purchase. For group sales (10 or more) information and discounts, please contact the Connecticut Sun Group Sales Department at 860.862.4000
The championship will be telecast via the ESPN family of networks. The first round and quarterfinals, scheduled for March 7th – 8th, will be carried live on ESPN3. The March 9th semifinals will be shown on ESPNU. The championship game, on March 10th, will appear on ESPN or ESPN2.
The American Digital Network, the league’s online home for live streaming audio and video, will provide fans with behind-the-scenes features and wrap-around content from the Championship. For all Championship information, please visit www.TheAmerican.org/WBB.
The American Athletic Conference (The American), which operated as the Big East Conference from 1979 to 2013, is a proud member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association and located in Providence, Rhode Island. The American Athletic Conference comprises the following 10 member institutions: the University of Central Florida; University of Cincinnati, University of Connecticut, University of Houston, University of Louisville, University of Memphis, Rutgers University, Southern Methodist University, University of South Florida, and Temple University. In 2014-15, East Carolina University, Tulane University and the University of Tulsa become full members. The U.S. Naval Academy joins in football only in 2015. The American Athletic Conference is a member of the Bowl Championship Series. For more information on the Conference and its membership, please visit www.TheAmerican.org.
Mohegan Sun Arena is ranked 3rd in the U.S. and 5th in the world by Billboard Magazine and was the 2008 and 2010 recipient of a Country Music Award for “Casino of The Year.” Venues Today also ranked Mohegan Sun Arena #3 in 2012 and ranked it in the top six of “Top Stops of The Decade” in 2012. Venues Today also named Mohegan Sun Arena #4 in mid-year Top Stops for 2013. For more information on concerts and other great events visit Mohegan Sun. For information on this week’s schedule, call the Entertainment and Special Events hotline at 1.888.226.7711, ext. 27163.
Nov 3, 2009 | Sports
University of Rhode Island vs. Oklahoma State
Central Connecticut State University vs. Holy Cross
Mohegan Sun Arena will be playing host to an exciting division 1 college basketball doubleheader this winter when the University of Rhode Island takes on Oklahoma State, followed by Central Connecticut State University battling Holy Cross. The action takes place live on Saturday, January 2nd at 2:00pm beginning with the URI vs. Oklahoma State game followed by the CCSU vs. Holy Cross game at 5:00pm.
Tickets are $75.00, $40.00, $30.00, $15.00 and $10.00 and are on sale now at the Mohegan Sun Box Office and through Ticketmaster. Ticketmaster customers may log on to ticketmaster.com; call Ticketmaster’s national toll free Charge by Phone number 1.800.745.3000; or visit any Ticketmaster outlet.
Last season, URI and Oklahoma State faced off in the All-College Classic in Oklahoma City, with the Cowboys edging by the Rams, 86-82.
Rhode Island finished with a 23-12 record a season ago, advancing to the second round of the NIT. Keith Cothran and Atlantic 10 Sixth “Man of the Year” Delroy James return to spark the Runnin’ Rams’ high-powered offense in 2009-10.
Oklahoma State – picked to finish sixth in the Big 12 Conference – is led by former Massachusetts head coach Travis Ford. The Cowboys compiled a 23-12 record a season ago, advancing to the round of 32 in the NCAA Tournament.
The CCSU Blue Devils enter the 2009-10 season on the heels of a 13-17 record a year ago, but they return with all but one starter from that squad. Junior Ken Horton, an All-Conference pick a year ago as a sophomore, leads the returners that also includes captains senior Joe Seymore and junior Shemik Thompson. Sophomore Robby Ptacek was the third leading scorer for Central as a freshman a year ago. Along with Horton and Thompson, Ptacek averaged more than 10.0 points per game.
Holy Cross is coming off a 2008-2009 season in which it posted an overall record of 18-14 and finished second in the Patriot League with an 11-3 mark in conference games. The Crusaders return with four starters off of that squad, including junior forward Andrew Keister and sophomore guard R.J. Evans. Keister earned first team All-Patriot League honors last season after averaging 8.5 points and 6.3 rebounds per game, while shooting a league-best 58.8 percent (104 of 177) from the floor. Evans, the 2009 Patriot League Rookie of the Year, led the team by averaging 13.4 points per game last year, in addition to pulling down 5.2 rebounds per contest.
Mohegan Sun Arena is ranked the 4th best venue by Billboard Magazine and was the 2008 recipient of a Country Music Award for “Casino of The Year.” For more information on concerts and other great events at Mohegan Sun, visit mohegansun.com. For information on this week’s schedule, call the Entertainment and Special Events hotline at 1.888.226.7711, ext. 27163.
