Sharks Sports & Entertainment and City of San Jose extend SAP Center lease agreement

Over the last decade, Sharks team owner Hasso Plattner has invested more than $100 million to maintain and upgrade the city-owned facility, despite having no obligation to do so. Notable improvements include a new center hung scoreboard and 360-degree LED ribbon board, a new ice-making plant, enhanced security systems, improved air flow ventilation and circulation, multiple updates to the food and beverage experience to ensure quicker transactions and shorter lines, a new premium experience dubbed the NetApp Celly Lounge, and many more.

“The Sharks have been proud to play in San Jose for the last 30+ years and look forward to another 25 more,” said Jonathan Becher, President of Sharks Sports & Entertainment. “While we have consistently invested our own funds to maintain the city-owned SAP Center and intend to continue doing so, this partnership with the City of San Jose will bring much-needed renovations and improvements for arena guests, the teams, and performers.”

SSE will continue to manage and operate SAP Center on behalf of the City of San Jose throughout the term of the agreement.

Since opening its doors in September 1993, SAP Center has proudly welcomed more than 50 million guests through its doors to more than 5,000 events, generating nearly $10 billion of economic benefit to downtown San Jose by filling hotel rooms and downtown restaurants and businesses.

Annually, the Sharks, SAP Center, and Sharks Ice at San Jose (@sharksice) average approximately 2.5 million visitors to its venues, supporting 2,740 jobs and contributing nearly $300M million in economic impact to the City of San Jose.

“From their first face-off in 1991 to the roar of the Tank today, the Sharks have become a cornerstone of San José’s identity,” said Mayor Matt Mahan. “Together, we’re investing over half a billion dollars to bring world-class amenities to SAP Center — cementing downtown as a premier hockey destination and world-class stage for headline acts.”

Keeping the Sharks in San Jose also reinforces the Sharks commitment in making a positive impact in our local community. Since its inception in 1994, the Sharks Foundation (@sjscommunity) has positively impacted the lives of close to 10 million residents throughout Northern California, empowering youth through education and wellness programs while advancing equitable access to hockey for all. Sharks Sports & Entertainment community-based programs will continue to support city beautification projects, including the Sharks Community Connections Mural Project, and the newly adopted areas in Arena Green West and the Guadalupe River. As part of the new agreement, the Sharks have committed to contributing an additional $12 million for community benefits over the term of the new agreement.

“The San Jose Sharks are a powerful economic engine and a source of pride for our city,” said Leah Toeniskoetter, President & CEO of the San Jose Chamber of Commerce. “This long-term agreement to keep the Sharks in San Jose through 2051 ensures continued vibrancy in our downtown, supports thousands of jobs, and reinforces San Jose’s identity on the international stage of sports and entertainment.”

Since opening in September 1993, SAP Center at San Jose has been the preeminent community gathering place, providing more than 30-years of sports and world-class entertainment for the City of San Jose and its residents and helping bolster the city’s claim as the “Capital of Silicon Valley.”

In addition to serving as the home to the National Hockey League’s San Jose Sharks, SAP Center has hosted the 2016 Stanley Cup Final, NHL All-Star Games in 1997 and 2019, world-class U.S Gymnastics events (2007, 2012, 2016, and 2023), U.S. Figure Skating Championships (1996, 2012, 2018 and 2023), the NCAA men’s basketball tournament seven times (scheduled again in 2026) and the women’s NCAA Women’s Final Four in 1999, ATP tennis tournaments from 1994- 2013, league championships with indoor football’s Bay Area Panthers and the San Jose SaberCats, and roller hockey’s San Jose Rhinos – to name only a few.

As one of the country’s busiest and most successful indoor arenas, nearly every performer imaginable has come to San Jose including Taylor Swift, Bad Bunny, Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, Bob Dylan, Metallica, Vicente Fernandez, Beyonce, ATEEZ, Elton John, Billy Joel, Garth Brooks, Jay-Z, The Three Tenors (Placido Domingo, Luciano Pavarotti and Jose Carreras), Madonna, The Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, Simon & Garfunkel, Lady Gaga, Prince, Drake, Adele, Luis Miguel, The Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, U2 …. and the list goes on and on.