The Now Arena (originally known as the Sears Centre, Sears Centre Arena and stylized as NOW Arena) is a multi-purpose arena in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, a northwest suburb 25 mi from Chicago, near land which formerly contained the Poplar Creek Music Theater. Since 2016, the arena has been home to the Windy City Bulls, the Chicago Bulls' affiliate in the NBA G League.

History

The venue was a joint venture between Sears Holdings, Ryan Companies, and the Village of Hoffman Estates. The project began in 1998; however, plans were not finalized until 2005. Construction began in July 2005. The venue opened as Sears Centre on October 26, 2006, with performances by Duran Duran and Bob Dylan. In 2011, the Village of Hoffman Estates took over ownership of the arena after Ryan Companies walked away from the arena due to the arena's lack of success. However, since the village took over the arena and hired Global Spectrum to manage it, the arena has shown improvement. The naming rights to the arena were not affected by Sears Holdings declaring bankruptcy in 2018, with the company paying $1.5 million to secure naming rights for an additional 18 months. On June 23, 2020, the Village of Hoffman Estates approved an $11.5 million deal to rename the venue to NOW Arena, with the naming rights belonging to the NOW Health Group, a family-owned natural products manufacturer based in Bloomingdale, Illinois. The name change would officially take effect on September 1, 2020.

Notable events

USA Gymnastics