Paycom Center

Paycom Center, formerly known as Ford Center, briefly as Oklahoma City Arena, and Chesapeake Energy Arena, is an indoor multi-purpose sports/concert arena in downtown Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States. It is the home of the National Basketball Association's Oklahoma City Thunder. The arena was also home to the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets from 2005 to 2007.

Paycom Center

"Loud City" "The Thunderdome"
Former names	Ford Center (2002-2010) Oklahoma City Arena (2010-2011) Chesapeake Energy Arena (2011–2021)
Location	100 W Reno Ave Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73102
Coordinates	35°27′48.44″N 97°30′53.79″W
Owner	City of Oklahoma City
Operator	SMG
Capacity	Basketball: 19,599 Hockey: 18,036 Football: 17,868 Concerts: 20,817
Construction
Started	1999
Opened	June 8, 2002
Construction cost	$89 million
Architect	Sink Combs Dethlefs The Benham Companies
Tenants
Oklahoma City Thunder (NBA)(2008-Present) New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets (NBA) (2005-2007) Oklahoma City Blazers (CHL) (2002-2009) Oklahoma City Yard Dawgz (af2) (2004-2009)

Naming history

The arena was named the Ford Center from 2002 to 2010. The name did not come directly from the Ford Motor Company; it instead came from a contract with Oklahoma Ford Dealers, a group that represents marketing efforts of the state's Ford dealers.^[1] After the city and Oklahoma Ford Dealers could not agree on a new naming rights contract, the arena became Oklahoma City Arena from 2010 to 2011.^[2]

A new naming rights contract was signed with Chesapeake Energy in 2011, leading to the renaming as Chesapeake Energy Arena.^[3] Chesapeake Energy entered into bankruptcy restructuring in 2020, and ended the naming contract the next year.^[4] In July 2021, Paycom, an Oklahoma City-based payroll services company, signed a 15-year naming contract, leading to the current name of Paycom Center.^[5]