American Express, Barclays Center, and the Brooklyn Nets have entered into a multi-tiered alliance making American Express the Official Credit Card of Barclays Center and the Brooklyn Nets. The alliance designates American Express as the presenting sponsor of the Barclays Center restaurant and box office, and the eighth founding partner of the venue.

This new alliance provides a number of exclusive benefits for American Express Cardmembers, such as access to tickets and merchandise prior to general public sale and the opportunity to attend specially designed private experiences. Cardmembers have already benefited from early on-sale ticket opportunities for Barclays Center events, including JAY Z, Barbra Streisand, Andrea Bocelli, and Journey.

American Express will receive branding from concessions to merchandising within Barclays Center and will include special benefits for Cardmembers at the venue’s restaurant.

American Express will also receive naming rights for Barclays Center’s box office, to be called American Express Box Office. The 12-booth box office will be located directly inside the main entrance space, where consumers will be encouraged to use the Official Card of Barclays Center and the Brooklyn Nets.

“American Express is one of the most globally recognized companies in the world and we are proud that it has formed a significant alliance with Barclays Center and the Brooklyn Nets,” said Barclays Center and Brooklyn Nets CEO Brett Yormark. “Barclays Center and the Brooklyn Nets connect perfectly with features of American Express, which provides its customers with unprecedented service and access to the best shows and sporting events. We are delighted to welcome American Express as a Founding Partner of the arena and continue our commitment to bring the finest brands to Brooklyn.”

”We are thrilled to sign on as an official partner of Barclay Center and the Brooklyn Nets,” said Rich Lehrfeld, Vice President of Global Media, Sponsorship and Experiential Marketing, American Express. “This alliance gives us the opportunity to provide our customers with access to some of the best in entertainment and sports at a state-of-the-art venue and show our continued support of our hometown.”

About American Express
American Express is a global services company, providing customers with access to products, insights and experiences that enrich lives and build business success. Learn more at americanexpress.com and connect with us on facebook.com/americanexpress, foursquare.com/americanexpress, linkedin.com/companies/american-express, twitter.com/americanexpress, and youtube.com/americanexpress.

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About Barclays Center
Scheduled to open in September 2012, Barclays Center will be a major sports and entertainment venue in the heart of Brooklyn, New York. De+veloped by Brooklyn-based real estate developer Forest City Ratner Companies, and designed by the award-winning architectural firms AECOM (www.aecom.com/architecture) and SHoP Architects (www.shoparc.com), Barclays Center will have one of the most intimate seating configurations ever designed into a modern multi-purpose arena, with unparalleled sightlines and first-class amenities. Barclays Center will offer 18,200 seats for basketball and up to 19,000 seats for concerts, and will also have 100 luxury suites, four bars/lounges, three clubs, and a restaurant.

Barclays Center will host an extensive variety of events, including premier concerts, monthly major professional boxing cards, top college basketball, family shows, professional hockey, and the Brooklyn Nets. Some of the special programming that is already scheduled includes JAY Z, who will open the building on September 28 with the first of his multiple concerts, Barbra Streisand, Andrea Bocelli, Justin Bieber, Journey, Leonard Cohen, Rush,UB40, Maxi Priest, Hezekiah Walker, Neil Young & Crazy Horse, The King’s Men gospel concert with Kirk Franklin, Marvin Sapp, Donnie McClurkin, and Israel Houghton, 2012 Verizon’s How Sweet the Sound™, Russell Peters, the Barclays Center Classic men’s college basketball tournament, Atlantic 10 Men’s Basketball Championship, Coaches vs. Cancer Classic, Islanders vs. Devils game, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus and Disney on Ice, Kellogg’s® Tour of Gymnastics Champions, and the New York Masters equestrian show jumping. Current programming alliances with Barclays Center include Golden Boy Promotions, IMG, Feld Entertainment, Lagardère Unlimited, and the Brooklyn Academy of Music.

In addition to Barclays, the naming rights partner, Founding Partners for Barclays Center include American Express, Calvin Klein, Cushman & Wakefield, EmblemHealth, Foxwoods Resort Casino, MetroPCS, Stolichnaya, and Ticketmaster. Other sponsors include: adidas, Anheuser-Busch, The Coca-Cola Company, Haier America, HighPoint Solutions, LIU Brooklyn, New York Marriott at the Brooklyn Bridge, SONY, Tyco, and Willis.

Located atop one of the largest transportation hubs in New York City, Barclays Center will be accessible by 11 subway lines, the Long Island Rail Road, and 11 bus lines.

For more information on Barclays Center, please visit www.barclayscenter.com.