Inspire Entertainment Resort said on October 26 that it has signed a venue naming rights and strategic partnership agreement with NAVER, under which the 15,000-seat Inspire Arena on Yeongjong Island in Incheon will be renamed “NAVER Arena at Inspire” for three years starting in December.
Inspire will continue to handle the booking and operation of concerts and other events, Seoul Economic Daily reported, while NAVER secures branding and marketing rights and plans NAVER Plus Membership perks at the facility.
The companies also plan facial recognition entry through NAVER Pay, augmented reality wayfinding, admission services using non-fungible tokens, and joint performances at Discovery Park, Inspire’s outdoor venue.
The first event under the new name is “NAVER x Hyundai Card THE SIX,” featuring global women’s tennis stars, from December 25 to 27, followed by a range of other programs.
Inspire chief marketing officer Lee Han-na said the partnership combines top-tier arena operating capabilities with a leading platform company’s technology and services. “Through our cooperation with NAVER, we will further advance the overall customer experience across performances and viewing, and create differentiated value unique to NAVER Arena at Inspire,” she said.
Lee Jae-hoo, head of NAVER’s entertainment service division, said NAVER will use “NAVER Arena” as a flagship landmark for its branding, technology and services. “We will continue to reach users with a variety of benefits for NAVER Plus Membership subscribers and with novel global events that draw on technologies such as Npay Facesign,” he said.
The deal matters because Inspire Arena is described as Korea’s first multipurpose indoor performance venue, a large-scale stage already central to major live events in Incheon. Attaching NAVER’s name to that room signals an ambition to be visible across the arena circuit itself.
That fits NAVER’s recent pattern. Last December it secured naming rights for LoL Park, the Seoul esports stadium now operating as CHZZK LoL Park, in a five-year agreement with Riot Games covering broadcasting rights for major esports leagues and naming rights from 2026 through 2030. The Inspire deal extends that branding from esports to an arena-scale concert venue.
The timeline is clear: the new name takes effect in December, the tennis event runs December 25 to 27, and further programs under the NAVER Arena banner are expected to follow.
