Oak View Group Partners With Berks County Convention Center Authority To Operate Santander Arena, PAC

Oak View Group struck up a deal with Berks County Convention Center Authority to manage operations, create a food and beverage program and sell new sponsorship opportunities for two major venues in Reading, Pennsylvania — the 8,800-capacity Santander Arena and 1,700-seat Santander Performing Arts Center — beginning July 1, 2025.

In partnering with OVG, the parent company of Pollstar, the BCCCA aims to increase bookings and improve the guest experience at the venues, both of which ranked among the top 200 in their respective categories on Pollstar’s 2024 Top 200 Worldwide charts. Santander Arena was No. 114 on the Arena Grosses list with a total haul of $19,293,279, and the Santander Performing Arts Center was 139^th with $3,677,260 in the Top Theatre Grosses chart.

“Oak View Group has an excellent reputation for providing a high-quality, premium guest experience, and we’re excited to partner with them to enhance the live entertainment experience here in Reading,” Michael J. Gombar, Jr., chairman of the Berks County Convention Center Authority, said in a statement. “The live entertainment industry is very competitive and ever-changing.  We are confident that Oak View Group has the resources and experience to grow Reading’s presence in the industry as we approach our 25^th year of operation. We are also ecstatic about the significant capital investment committed by Oak View Group for upgrades to the Arena and Performing Arts Center. The Authority considers both venues as major anchors for economic development in the Greater Reading area. So, the Authority Board is excited to make this announcement and provide another piece of the puzzle in the revitalization of downtown Reading.”

OVG, a global leader in live entertainment, food and beverage service and venue management, will handle day-to-day operations, booking, scheduling, marketing, advertising and sponsorship sales for Santander Arena and Santander Performing Arts Center. The OVG Global Partnerships team will execute a program to attract new partners and enhance the fan experience, and OVG Hospitality will also help upgrade concessions at both buildings and introduce new menu options inspired by local cuisine.

In addition to managing the venues, OVG will manage the Reading Royals, a minor league hockey affiliate of the NHL’s Philadelphia Flyers, who play at Santander Arena.

“We are excited to partner with Berks County Convention Center Authority and bring a new level of excitement and activity to both the Santander Arena and Santander Performing Arts Center designed to elevate the guest experience,” said Peter Luukko, co-chair of Oak View Group. “Reading is a terrific market for live entertainment, and we look forward to generating a new level of excitement in the industry and across the region for both properties.”

The deal with BCCCA expands OVG’s presence in the state of Pennsylvania, where the entertainment company operates PPL Center in Allentown, PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, the Liacouras Center at Temple University in Philadelphia, Kovalchick Convention and Athletic Complex in Indiana and UPMC Events Center in Moon Township. OVG Hospitality also provides food and beverage at nearly all of Penn State’s facilities, including Beaver Stadium.