Tyler Bates Becomes SVP Programming Of UBS Arena

Oak View Group (OVG) and UBS Arena announced that Tyler Bates has been named Senior Vice President, Programming of UBS Arena. Effective now, Bates leads the arena’s programming strategy, overseeing the booking and development of concerts, sporting events, comedy, family entertainment, special events and other live experiences at the arena and its ancillary spaces.

Bates joins UBS Arena with nearly two decades of live entertainment experience spanning some of North America’s most prominent venues and entertainment platforms including Prudential Center, Northwest Stadium, Barclays Center and Kings Theatre. He reports to Mark Shulman, Executive Vice President, Programming and Content, OVG East.

“Tyler brings an exceptional combination of programming expertise, industry relationships and a deep understanding of the New York entertainment market,” stated Shulman in the announcement. “His track record of building programming strategies and developing meaningful partnerships across the industry makes him an outstanding addition to the UBS Arena team. We’re excited to have him lead the next chapter of programming at one of the world’s premier live entertainment venues.”

Most recently, Bates served as Vice President of Entertainment Booking for Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, where he led concert, comedy and family entertainment booking strategy for Prudential Center, White Eagle Hall and Loew’s Jersey Theatre, while also supporting booking initiatives at Northwest Stadium.

Earlier in his career, Bates held leadership roles with Ambassador Theatre Group, Communion Presents and Barclays Center, where he shaped programming strategy, led venue operations and business development, expanded live entertainment partnerships across North America and helped launch Barclays Center’s booking operations. He began his career with AEG Live (currently AEG presents) with roles in finance, touring and event operations before moving into booking and tour management. Bates holds a BS in Accounting from Boston College.

“I’m thrilled to join UBS Arena and be given the opportunity to build on such a strong foundation,” added Bates. “The arena has established itself as one of the premier destinations for live entertainment, and I’m excited to work with the team, our partners and the broader entertainment community to grow that success and bring an even greater range of extraordinary live entertainment experiences to the region.”

With Bates leading programming, UBS Arena will continue to pursue new opportunities across music, sports, comedy, family entertainment and special events while strengthening relationships with artists, promoters, agencies and other industry partners.

UBS Arena has become a lauded destination for live entertainment and sports including hosting Harry Styles, Billy Joel, Billie Eilish, Bruce Springsteen, Drake, Eagles, Sebastian Maniscalco, Zach Bryan, John Mayer and SEVENTEEN, among others, as well as serving as a two-time home of the MTV Video Music Awards and preparing to host the 2027 NHL All-Star Game.

Located on the grounds of historic Belmont Park, UBS Arena is also the home of the New York Islanders. As part of the Belmont Park campus, UBS Arena also works alongside Belmont Park Racetrack and Belmont Park Village to further establish the destination as a hub for entertainment, sports, shopping and dining.

The state-of-the-art arena was developed in partnership with Oak View Group (Pollstar’s parent company), the New York Islanders and Jeff Wilpon, and has welcomed more than 3 million guests and 350+ events since November 2021.