Editing KeyBank Center (section)

===Naming rights===
[[File:Exterior of KeyBank Center in Buffalo, NY.jpg|thumb|Exterior of the arena in 2023]]
{{multiple image|perrow = 2|total_width=250
| align = left
| image1 = Full House at Buffalo's Former Marine Midland Arena for Buffalo Sabres Hockey, 1999.jpg
| image2 = HSBC Arena.jpg
| image3 = First Niagara Center Sabres.jpg
| footer = Clockwise from upper left: Marine Midland Arena, HSBC Arena, First Niagara Center
}}

Naming rights were sold to Buffalo-based [[Marine Midland Bank]], part of the [[HSBC]] banking group in 1996, and the building was renamed Marine Midland Arena before the first game had been played. The bank bought the naming rights for 30 years then to expire in 2026. 

In 1999, as part of HSBC's worldwide corporate rebranding, the arena's name was changed to HSBC Arena, with the official renaming taking place on March 17, 2000. This name change coincided with the playing of the first college basketball tournament game in the arena's history. 

In 2011, Buffalo-based [[First Niagara Bank|First Niagara Financial Group]] reached an agreement to purchase HSBC Bank's upstate New York and Connecticut branch network, including much of the core of the old Marine Midland.<ref>{{cite web |title=Home of the Sabres to be renamed First Niagara Center|url=http://sabres.nhl.com/club/news.htm?id=587384 |publisher=[[Buffalo Sabres]]|date=August 25, 2011|access-date=August 25, 2011}}</ref> While naming rights to HSBC Arena were not included in the sale, First Niagara, HSBC, the Buffalo Sabres and other parties reached an agreement to establish a new naming rights deal with First Niagara. The name of the arena became First Niagara Center that summer, with the official renaming taking place that fall.<ref>{{cite news|title=HSBC Arena to Become First Niagara Center|first=John|last=Vogl|url=http://blogs.buffalonews.com/sabres/2011/08/hsbc-arena-to-get-new-name.html|newspaper=[[The Buffalo News]]|date=August 25, 2011|access-date=August 25, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111008222402/http://blogs.buffalonews.com/sabres/2011/08/hsbc-arena-to-get-new-name.html|archive-date=October 8, 2011|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=First Niagara, Sabres Feel They're Part of a Hot Team as Bank acquires Arena Naming Rights|first=John|last=Vogl|url=http://blogs.buffalonews.com/sabres/2011/08/first-niagara-sabres-feel-theyre-part-of-a-hot-team-as-bank-aquires-arena-naming-rights.html|newspaper=[[The Buffalo News]]|date=August 25, 2011|access-date=August 25, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110923125256/http://blogs.buffalonews.com/sabres/2011/08/first-niagara-sabres-feel-theyre-part-of-a-hot-team-as-bank-aquires-arena-naming-rights.html|archive-date=September 23, 2011|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref> First Niagara bought the naming rights for 15 years, approximately the remainder of the time that was left on HSBC's naming rights deal with the arena.<ref>{{cite news|title=Sabres Home to be Called First Niagara Center|first=Rich|last=Newberg|url=http://www.wivb.com/dpp/news/buffalo/Sabres-to-announce-arena-naming-rights|work=[[WIVB-TV|WIVB]]|date=August 25, 2011|access-date=August 25, 2011|archive-date=March 21, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120321143505/http://www.wivb.com/dpp/news/buffalo/Sabres-to-announce-arena-naming-rights|url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[KeyCorp]] announced its plans to purchase First Niagara—and thus also the naming rights to the arena—on October 30, 2015.<ref>{{cite web|title=Better Together|url=https://www.key.com/about/articles/keybank-first-niagara-agreement-103015.jsp?ppc=Q4_prFN_tw|publisher=KeyBank|date=October 30, 2015|access-date=June 13, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Simon|first=Mitch|title=First Niagara Center to receive new name|url=http://www.wkbw.com/news/first-niagara-center-to-receive-new-name|publisher=[[WKBW-TV]]|date=May 11, 2016|access-date=June 13, 2016}}</ref> Although exterior signage was installed during the week of August 11, 2016, the renamed KeyBank Center became official on September 19, 2016.<ref>{{cite press release|title=KeyBank Center Press Release|url=http://keybankcenter.com/general.cshtml/19|publisher=KeyBank Center|date=September 19, 2016|access-date=September 29, 2016}}</ref><ref name="bizjournals.com">{{cite news|last=Kline|first=Allissa|title=Sign of the times appearing at First Niagara Center|url=http://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/news/2016/08/11/sign-of-the-times-appearing-at-first-niagara.html|publisher=[[American City Business Journals|Buffalo Business First]]|date=August 11, 2016|access-date=September 29, 2016}}</ref>