Local
Fort Worth arena takes Ariat name under decade-long deal
Fort Worth’s major events venue is now Ariat Arena after a 10-year naming-rights agreement with the Western wear company. Permanent signs are expected by year’s end, ahead of the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo in January.
Fort Worth’s Dickies Arena has been renamed Ariat Arena under a 10-year agreement between arena operator Trail Drive Management Corp. and Ariat International, the companies announced Oct. 26. The name change took effect immediately.
Ariat will be the arena’s exclusive partner for Western wear, workwear and boots. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed in the announcement.
Temporary signs bearing the new name are going up now, with permanent signage expected to be installed by the end of 2026. The timing puts the new branding in place before the 130th Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo, which begins Jan. 15.
The arena expects to host more than 145 shows in 2026, including performances by Ty Myers, Riley Green and Leon Bridges. Its upcoming sports calendar also includes the NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament’s first and second rounds and the NCAA Women’s Gymnastics Championships.
Ariat has expanded its Fort Worth presence in recent years. The company opened a regional headquarters in the city in 2020 and a flagship store in Mule Alley in the Stockyards in 2022. It became a founding arena partner in 2023 and sponsors The Ariat Club, the venue’s premium hospitality space. In 2025, Ariat invested $70 million in a two-phase expansion of its regional headquarters.
“Fort Worth has played a huge part in Ariat’s growth,” CEO Liz O’Neill said in a statement, describing the city and Texas as partners in the company’s development.
Mayor Mattie Parker called Ariat a fitting partner for the venue and said the agreement deepens the company’s presence and investment in Fort Worth. The city did not provide further details about the deal’s financial terms.