Madison Square Garden Reveals Fully Transformed Arena

Madison Square Garden today marked the completion of its three-year, top-to-bottom Transformation, which significantly enhanced every aspect of the historic Arena, from the first row to the last. The completed Transformation, which has been designed to improve the experience of fans, partners, suiteholders, athletes and entertainers, was unveiled at a star-studded, standing-room-only press event in the Garden's re-imagined 7th Avenue entrance, Chase Square.

The event featured New York Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, The Madison Square Garden Company's Executive Chairman, Jim Dolan and its President and Chief Executive Officer, Hank Ratner, and CEO of Chase Consumer and Community Banking, GorDon Smith, as well as Knicks legend Willis Reed and Rangers great Mark Messier. The new Arena officially reopens tomorrow with a New York Knicks pre-season contest.

"Madison Square Garden is more than a great sports and entertainment arena - it is a globally recognized landmark that is an important part of the fabric that makes New York City the greatest city in the world. The Garden serves as home to many of New York's greatest performances and sporting experiences, with a large, diverse, and passionate fan base that draws from across our City, State, and around the globe. The completion of this Transformation will allow The Garden to offer even better service to its fans, athletes, and performers and help the venue continue to drive economic growth and job creation here in Manhattan," said Governor Cuomo.

"Madison Square Garden is uniquely beloved by both the fans in the seats and the athletes and performers they've come to see - and we are pleased to transform it for the next generation," said Mr. Dolan. "We knew that the world's greatest fans in the world's greatest city deserved a complete, state-of-the-art experience, and the certainty that The Garden would continue to be the setting for the biggest and best events well into the future. We believe we've succeeded in making this a truly unforgettable place for everyone, ensuring The Garden's future is as bright as its celebrated past."

"Our goal with the Transformation has always been to give our fans, partners, athletes and entertainers a venue that will continue to set the standard by which all others are measured," said Mr. Ratner. "To do that, during our planning process we spent a lot of time getting their feedback to understand what they wanted to experience in a transformed Garden. And we're extremely proud that - today - we're effectively unveiling an entirely new Madison Square Garden Arena - one that we know will continue to be the site of unforgettable, enduring moments for generations to come."

Madison Square Garden's self-funded, $1 billion, comprehensive Transformation, saw The Garden shut down for three consecutive off-seasons (2011, 2012, 2013), with construction continuing behind-the-scenes during a full slate of NBA and NHL games, sold-out concerts and other sporting and entertainment events. During this period, Madison Square Garden continued to be among the busiest Arenas in the country.