What is Amerant Bank Arena?
[[Image:View of Amerant Bank Arena from Publix Plaza before a Florida Panthers game during the 2023-24 season..jpg|thumb|right|250px|Amerant Bank Arena in 2024]] '''Amerant Bank Arena''' is a [[sport]]s [[arena]] in [[Sunrise, Florida|Sunrise]], [[Florida]]. It opened on [[October 3]], [[1998]]. It is the current home to the [[Florida Panthers]] of the [[National Hockey League]] (NHL). The arena was also known as the '''Broward County Civic Arena''' in 1998, the '''National Car Rental Center''' from 1998 to 2002, '''Office Depot Center''' from 2002 to 2005, '''BankAtlantic Center''' from 2005 to 2012, '''BB&T Center''' from 2012 to 2021, and '''FLA Live Arena''' from 2021 until 2023. The most recent name change was in September 2021, when the naming rights contract between the arena and the financial services company BB&T ran out. By that time, BB&T had merged with SunTrust Banks to form Truist Financial Corporation.<ref>{{cite news |title=SunTrust, BB&T have their names on sports |url=https://www.ajc.com/sports/suntrust-have-their-names-sports/3G1v2a1cTAjfSFbWt5kfWJ/ |access-date=May 20, 2019 |work=The Atlanta Journal-Constitution |date=February 7, 2019}}</ref> The merged company decided to not renew the naming rights agreement, and the arena now has the temporary name of FLA Live Arena until a new rights partner is found.<ref>{{cite news |title=Panthers home temporarily renamed FLA Live Arena |url=https://www.nhl.com/news/florida-panthers-arena-name-change/c-326245332 |work=NHL.com |date=September 21, 2021|access-date=September 21, 2021}}</ref> On September 19, 2023, Amerant Bank bought the naming rights for the arena and it would be renamed to '''Amerant Bank Arena'''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nhl.com/panthers/news/florida-panthers-announce-arena-naming-rights-agreement-with-amerant-bank|accessdate=November 12, 2023|title=Florida Panthers Announce Arena Naming Rights Agreement with Amerant Bank|publisher=National Hockey League}}</ref> The arena currently seats 20,737 for basketball and 19,250 for hoc