budweiser gardens

Name

budweiser gardens

Legal name

Canada Life Place

Website

https://budweisergardens.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Entertainment Venue

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131), Spectator Sports (7112), Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (713940)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Arenas & Indoor Sports Centers (MPAKAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Event Operations & Venue Services (Box Office, FOH/BOH, Concessions) (MPAIAFAL), Live Music Venues & Concert Bars (THAFAEAD), Nightlife Venue Groups & Operators (Multi-Location) (MPAGAIAL)

Keywords

• Live entertainment venue
• Arena event hosting
• Premium suite rentals
• Sports and concerts
• Corporate event venue

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: Primary revenue stream from ticket sales for all events including concerts, sports (London Knights hockey, London Lightning basketball), Broadway shows, and family entertainment. Tickets sold through Ticketmaster and the Gate 1 Box Office.
2. Food & Beverage: Concession stands throughout the venue offering food items (pizza, burgers, hot dogs, poutine, chicken tenders) and beverages (alcoholic and non-alcoholic). Includes the Talbot Bar & Grille restaurant (220+ seats), King Club lounge, and catering services for events.
3. Premium Seating & Suites: Revenue from luxury suite rentals, premium club seating, and private event spaces including the Backstage Club, King Club, and Jack Daniel's Bar. Suites include catering options and dedicated service.
4. Venue Rental & Corporate Events: The venue generates revenue by renting spaces for corporate functions, private parties, meetings, ice rentals for skating events and birthday parties, and facility tours. Also includes advertising and sponsorship opportunities.
5. Sponsorship & Naming Rights: Naming rights partnership with Canada Life Assurance Company (10-year agreement effective October 11, 2024) and various corporate sponsorship arrangements for arena elements and event branding.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Canada Life Place (formerly Budweiser Gardens) is a 10,000-seat multi-purpose arena in downtown London, Ontario, that hosts concerts, touring Broadway shows, ice hockey (London Knights), basketball (London Lightning), and family entertainment. The venue generates revenue through ticket sales, premium seating/suite rentals, food and beverage concessions, catering, ice rentals, facility tours, corporate and private event rentals, and naming rights/sponsorship. It is municipally owned by the City of London and managed by Oak View Group.

Product overview

Budweiser Gardens (now Canada Life Place) is a single-venue multi-purpose entertainment facility offering a unified event-hosting platform. The core offering centers on the 10,000-seat arena that hosts concerts, sporting events (London Knights hockey, London Lightning basketball), and Broadway productions. The venue's product portfolio comprises: the main arena bowl as the core platform; premium seating options (luxury suites, King Club, Concert Club); food and beverage services through OVG Hospitality; catering capabilities led by Executive Chef Ryan Morrison; the Talbot Bar & Grille restaurant; the Backstage Club event space; ice rentals; and facility tours. Additional services include group ticket experiences, corporate function hosting, and event booking through Oak View Group's management team.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Event Hosting (Concerts, Sports, Broadway, Family Entertainment) Multi-purpose 10,000-seat arena hosting concerts, touring Broadway shows, ice hockey (London Knights), basketball (London Lightning), and family entertainment for the general public in Southwestern Ontario.
• London Knights Hockey (Home Venue) Home ice for the London Knights Ontario Hockey League (OHL) junior hockey franchise, playing at the arena since its 2002 opening.
• London Lightning Basketball (Home Venue) Home venue for the London Lightning National Basketball League of Canada (NBL Canada) professional basketball team.
• Broadway in London Series Touring Broadway productions hosted at The Siskinds LLP Stage within the arena, featuring Tony Award-winning musicals and family shows for theater enthusiasts.
• Premium Seating and Luxury Suite Rentals Luxury suite rentals and premium club seating including the King Club, Concert Club, and premium hospitality areas for corporate and individual patrons seeking elevated event experiences.
• The Talbot Bar & Grille Full-service restaurant on the 200 level with over 220 seats, featuring views of downtown London, table service, and a menu focused on locally grown ingredients, operated by OVG Hospitality under Executive Chef Ryan Morrison.
• Backstage Club (Private Event Venue) Multi-purpose event venue within the arena designed for corporate receptions, networking events, private celebrations, and VIP experiences with capacity up to 200 guests, introduced as part of the Elevation Project expansion.
• OVG Hospitality Catering Services Full-service catering for events ranging from rock concerts to corporate functions, led by Executive Chef Ryan Morrison, with menus emphasizing locally grown ingredients, provided by OVG Hospitality.
• Ice Rentals Rental of the arena's ice surface for corporate skating events, birthday parties, and pick-up hockey games, with Standard Hockey Rentals (50 minutes, groups up to 21, two dressing rooms) and Skating Party Rentals (groups up to 50).
• Corporate Functions and Venue Rentals Private event hosting including product launches, sales meetings, cocktail receptions, galas, and corporate celebrations across the venue's premium spaces, managed by the building rental team.
• Group Experiences Group ticket discounts and experiences for sports and entertainment events including group sales, Scotiabank Hockey Club Suites access, and fundraising options for groups of 10 or more.
• Facility Tours Behind-the-scenes guided tours of the arena including Level 100, the floor/ice level, the London Sports Hall of Fame, luxury suites, the Talbot Bar and Grille, and the press box.

Quantifiable outcome

• 13 million+ cumulative guests since 2002
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• BGC London (Boys and Girls Club of London)minorOthers · 4 July 2025Community partner receiving $20,000 joint donation from Oak View Group and Canada Life in July 2025. Part of ongoing commitment to support local organizations creating meaningful impact in the London community through an annual donation.
• Canada Life Assurance CompanycoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing Partner · 11 October 2024Naming rights partnership renaming the venue to Canada Life Place. 10-year agreement effective October 11, 2024. Canada Life, a leading insurance and wealth management provider with over 175 years of history, serves more than 14 million customer relationships across Canada.
• Oak View Group (OVG)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Global leader in live experience venue development and management. Founded by Tim Leiweke and Irving Azoff in 2015. OVG continues to manage and operate Canada Life Place for the City of London, overseeing all venue operations, programming, and the Elevation Project expansion.
• TicketmastercoreTechnology or IntegrationOfficial ticketing partner for all events at Canada Life Place. Provides online ticket sales platform, digital ticketing, and gift card services.
• OVG HospitalitycoreTechnology or IntegrationExclusive catering and hospitality partner operating all food and beverage services including the Talbot Bar & Grille, King Club, concessions, and event catering. Led by Executive Chef Ryan Morrison with focus on locally grown ingredients.
• ScotiabankminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNaming rights sponsor of Scotiabank Hockey Club Suites at the venue, providing premium hospitality space for hockey games and events.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/canadalifeplace
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/@CanadaLifePlace
• Facebookfacebook.com/canadalifeplace
• Instagraminstagram.com/canadalifeplace
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/budweiser-gardens

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

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 budweiser gardens