Philly Sports Jabronis
Report From Philadelphia Union
CHESTER, Pa. – Philadelphia Union announced today that independent power producer Talen Energy (formerly PPL EnergyPlus) has officially assumed the naming rights to the club’s soccer-specific stadium, making Talen Energy Stadium the new home of the Philadelphia Union. Per club policy, additional terms of the deal were not disclosed.
“We look forward to continuing a strategic and great partnership with Talen Energy and are truly excited for the stadium to have a new look come 2016,” Union Chief Revenue Officer and Executive Vice President Dave Rowan said. “While the name will be changing, we remain solely devoted to bringing our loyal fans the best possible game-day experience and we welcome this change as a recommitment to our values.”
The Philadelphia Union will open Talen Energy Stadium for its seventh season in Major League Soccer in 2016. All-time in MLS Regular Season play, the Union own a 39-27-32 record at Talen Energy Stadium, as well as a 6-3-3 record in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. Last season, the Union matched a franchise high of seven wins at home, finishing 7-7-3. They had won seven games in three prior occasions.
The 18,500-seat venue originally opened on June 27, 2010, when the Union defeated Seattle Sounders FC 3-1 behind three second-half goals for a comeback win. Since then, the stadium has hosted MLS Cup playoffs in 2011, the 2012 MLS All-Star Game and the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final in consecutive years in 2014 and 2015. The stadium has also hosted internationally known clubs Celtic, Chivas de Guadalajara, Everton, Schalke 04, Aston Villa, Pumas UNAM, Stoke City, Crystal Palace and AFC Bournemouth.
“We’re thrilled to be continuing this relationship with Talen Energy,” Vice President of Corporate Partnerships and Premium Seating Drew Young said. “Our two companies share a level of commitment and passion that we want to utilize as our organization continues to grow. This is a mutually beneficial opportunity that we expect to fully capitalize on.”
In addition to Philadelphia Union matches, Talen Energy Stadium has hosted the Army/Navy Soccer Cup from 2012-15, Big East Men’s Soccer Championship from 2012-15, USA Sevens Collegiate Rugby Championships from 2011-15, as well as the 2013 NCAA Men’s College Cup, 2014 Women’s World Cup CONCACAF qualifiers and the 2015 CONCACAF Gold Cup Third Place Match between the United States Men’s National Team and Panama. In 2015, the stadium ventured into concerts as Monster Energy Rock Allegiance debuted on Oct. 10 with more than 25,000 tickets sold.
Talen Energy, the official energy supplier of the Philadelphia Union, is one of the largest competitive energy and power generation companies in the United States. It was formed June 1 by spinning off PPL Corporation’s competitive energy business and combining it with generation assets owned by Riverstone Holdings. The company’s diverse generating fleet operates in well-developed, structured wholesale power markets. Learn more at www.talenenergy.com.
“Talen Energy is proud to partner with the Philadelphia Union to show fans that we are the energy provider of choice for residential, small business and large commercial customers throughout the region,” said Joel Cook, Talen Energy’s Vice President of Retail Marketing & Western Trading. “We look forward to the 2016 season and continued opportunities to be a strong presence in the community.”
Fans interested in visiting Talen Energy Stadium can find tickets for the 2016 MLS Regular Season by visiting PhiladelphiaUnion.com/tickets or by calling 1-877-21-UNION.
