Columbus Arena Sports and Entertainment (CASE)

What Columbus Arena Sports and Entertainment (CASE) does

Columbus Arena Sports and Entertainment (CASE) is a venue management and entertainment company founded in 2012 and headquartered in Columbus, Ohio. The company operates four major venues in the Columbus market: Nationwide Arena (20,000+ seats, home of the NHL's Columbus Blue Jackets), the Schottenstein Center (20,000+ seats on the Ohio State University campus), Mershon Auditorium (2,600 seats), and Ohio Stadium (40,000+ seats). CASE is affiliated with The Ohio State University, which functions as a parent/governing entity, and is associated with Landmark Stadium Group (LSG). The organization operates with a lean 11-person staff, consistent with a holding/oversight model in which individual venue teams handle on-site operations.

CASE's revenue model is built on transaction fees from venue operations and event management. The company serves two primary customer segments: sports fans attending NHL (Blue Jackets) and NCAA (Buckeyes) events, and concert/entertainment attendees across the venue portfolio. Anchor tenants — the Columbus Blue Jackets and Ohio State University athletic programs — provide recurring baseline activity, while touring concert and entertainment promoters contribute a long-tail event stream. Senior leadership includes Aaron Thomas as Chief Entertainment Officer, reflecting investment in programming strategy across the portfolio. CASE's competitive position rests on control of scarce, large-format venue capacity in a single metro market that is reportedly growing at approximately twice the national rate.

The business model is structurally differentiated from a pure concessionaire or promoter: CASE sits between venue owners (including Ohio State University) and event organizers, capturing a share of every transaction executed at its venues. Geographic concentration entirely in Columbus, Ohio and reliance on two anchor tenants represent the principal concentration risks. There are no disclosed AI/ML capabilities, patents, funding rounds, or technology products in the available data — CASE's value proposition is anchored in physical assets, institutional relationships, and event programming rather than software or intellectual property.

Name

Columbus Arena Sports and Entertainment (CASE)

Legal name

Columbus Arena Sports and Entertainment

Website

https://columbusarenas.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CASE is a Columbus, Ohio venue management company operating four major venues—Nationwide Arena, Schottenstein Center, Mershon Auditorium, and Ohio Stadium—serving the NHL's Blue Jackets, Ohio State University, and concert/entertainment markets through transaction-based event management fees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Entertainment Venue Management

NAICS

Spectator Sports (7112), Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131), Spectator Sports (71121)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Venue Operations, Management & Facility Services (MPAKAEAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Arenas & Indoor Sports Centers (MPAKAEAB), Venue Booking, Ticketing & Event-Day Services (Box Office, Guest Services) (MPAKAEAO), Sports Venue Operations for Live Games (Stadiums/Arenas) (MPAGAMAG), Sports & Arena Event Venues (Stadiums, Arenas) (THAHAAAF)

Keywords

• Venue management services
• Live event operations
• Multi-purpose arena management
• Sports entertainment venues
• Concert venue operations

Headquarters

HQ city

Columbus

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Infrastructure, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Venue Operations and Event Management: CASE generates revenue by managing and operating multi-purpose venues that host sports events (NHL, NCAA basketball, NCAA ice hockey) and concerts. Revenue is derived from ticket sales, venue rentals, and related event operations across Schottenstein Center, Nationwide Arena, Mershon Auditorium, and Ohio Stadium.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

CASE manages and operates a portfolio of four multi-purpose venues in Columbus, Ohio, ranging from Mershon Auditorium (2,600 seats) to Ohio Stadium (40,000+ capacity). The company books and promotes live sports events, including NHL hockey (Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena) and NCAA games (Ohio State Buckeyes at Schottenstein Center), as well as concerts and other live entertainment across its venue network. Revenue is generated through ticket sales, venue rentals, and related event operations.

Product overview

Columbus Arena Sports & Entertainment (CASE) operates a portfolio of venue management and event promotion services spanning from intimate theatres to epic outdoor stadiums. The core offerings include Nationwide Arena (20,000+ seats, downtown Columbus, NHL Blue Jackets home), Schottenstein Center (20,000+ seats, Ohio State University campus, college sports venue), Mershon Auditorium (2,600 seats, intimate theatre), and Ohio Stadium (40,000+ seats, iconic outdoor stadium for large-scale concerts). The company positions its venues on a spectrum from INTIMATE to EPIC configurations to serve diverse event needs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Nationwide Arena A 20,000+ seat multi-purpose venue located in downtown Columbus, Ohio. Operated by CASE as the home of the NHL Columbus Blue Jackets and host of concerts and other live entertainment events.
• Schottenstein Center A 20,000+ seat multi-purpose venue located on the campus of The Ohio State University. Operated by CASE and home to Buckeye men's basketball, women's basketball, and men's ice hockey, plus concerts and live entertainment.
• Mershon Auditorium A 2,600-seat theatre on the Ohio State University campus offering intimate event configurations. Managed and promoted by CASE for concerts, theatrical performances, and special events.
• Ohio Stadium An iconic outdoor stadium with seating capacity of 40,000+, used for epic-scale concerts and large-scale outdoor events. Promoted by CASE as part of its EPIC venue tier.

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• The Ohio State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCASE manages and operates the Schottenstein Center located on The Ohio State University campus, home to Buckeye men's basketball, women's basketball, and men's ice hockey. The company is affiliated with Ohio State University Department of Athletics.
• Columbus Blue JacketscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCASE manages Nationwide Arena, home to the NHL Columbus Blue Jackets hockey team. The partnership provides the primary anchor tenant for the downtown venue.
• Landmark Stadium Group (LSG)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReferenced as a related entity/affiliate - Landmark Stadium Group. Linked from the company website.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• BSE Global: BSE Global operates the Barclays Center and other venues in the New York area, with a focus on multi-purpose arena management for professional sports teams (NHL's Islanders, NBA's Nets) and concerts. Comparable to CASE in that it operates NHL-anchored arenas with concert/event programming.
• CAA ICON: CAA ICON is a venue consulting and management advisory firm focused on sports and entertainment facilities, including arenas and stadiums. It is comparable to CASE because both operate at the intersection of venue management and university/professional sports partnerships.
• ASM Global: ASM Global is the world's largest venue management and live-events company, operating hundreds of arenas, stadiums, convention centers, and theaters worldwide. It is the closest direct peer to CASE in that its core business — managing third-party-owned sports and entertainment venues for sports teams, universities, and municipalities — is structurally identical to CASE's Nationwide Arena / Schottenstein Center model.
• Oak View Group: Oak View Group is a venue development, management, and programming firm that operates and consults on arenas, stadiums, and entertainment districts. It is comparable to CASE as both are arena-management specialists serving major-market sports and entertainment clients with multi-venue portfolios.
• Legends Hospitality: Legends provides hospitality, merchandise, and venue-management services to sports and entertainment properties including major arenas and stadiums. It is comparable to CASE because it operates premium services inside sports venues, including university-affiliated arenas, that host NHL and NCAA-caliber events.
• AEG Facilities: AEG Facilities (part of Anschutz Entertainment Group) operates a portfolio of major arenas and stadiums globally, including multiple NHL-affiliated venues. AEG is comparable to CASE because it operates large-format arenas hosting NHL teams, concerts, and family shows under management contracts with venue owners.

Broad incumbents

• Live Nation Entertainment: Live Nation is the world's largest live entertainment company, promoting concerts and operating/tieing into venues globally. It is a broad incumbent peer to CASE as both are central to the live-events ecosystem — Live Nation as the dominant promoter feeding into CASE's venues.
• Madison Square Garden Entertainment: MSG Entertainment owns and operates iconic arenas including Madison Square Garden and Radio City Music Hall, hosting NHL games, concerts, and family shows. It is a broad incumbent peer to CASE as both operate large-format, multi-purpose arenas in major U.S. markets.

Regional players

• Pittsburgh Cultural Trust: Pittsburgh Cultural Trust manages multiple entertainment venues in Pittsburgh's Cultural District, hosting concerts, theatre, and special events across varied capacity venues. Comparable to CASE's multi-venue regional management model, though operating in a different Midwestern metro.
• Kentucky Venues (Rupp Arena): Kentucky Venues operates Rupp Arena and other central Kentucky facilities under university/state affiliation, hosting NCAA basketball, concerts, and major events. Comparable to CASE as both manage large-format arenas with university-athletics anchors in mid-sized U.S. metros.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/columbus-arena-sports-and-entertainment-case

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Columbus Arena Sports and Entertainment (CASE)