The Nickname for “Saitama Super Arena” Has Been Set as “GMO ARENA saitama”
— “Bringing Smiles, Inspiration, and Excitement to Everyone” Through Our Technology and Hospitality —

GMO Internet Group, Inc. (Representative Director and Group Representative: Masatoshi Kumagai; hereinafter “GMO Internet Group”) announced today, Monday, March 30, 2026, that it has entered into a Value-Up Naming Rights Partnership Agreement with Saitama Prefecture (Governor: Motohiro Ono) and Saitama Arena Co., Ltd. (President and Representative Director: Koji Mikami). As a result, beginning in April 2026, Saitama Super Arena will officially adopt the nickname “GMO ARENA saitama.”

For illustrative purposes only

GMO Internet Group views this naming rights partnership not simply as the granting of a nickname, but as an initiative to advance both the evolution of the arena and contributions to the local community by combining No. 1 technology with hospitality. By integrating world-class hospitality with advanced technologies cultivated over the past 30 years—including IT infrastructure development, the introduction of cashless payments, and the implementation of humanoid robots—we will, as the Value-Up Naming Rights Partner, help transform “GMO ARENA saitama” into “a one-of-a-kind global hub for culture and entertainment” and “a stage for creating a sustainable future for the community and society.”
Under the catchphrase “GMO ARENA saitama—Bringing Smiles, Inspiration, and Excitement to Everyone,” we will work to realize a smart arena that the world can be proud of and that is loved even more deeply by the local community.
In addition, “GMO SONIC 2027,” a large-scale music festival, has also been confirmed as the first major event following the renewal, to be held on Saturday, April 3, 2027, and Sunday, April 4, 2027.

Overview of the Value-Up Naming Rights Partnership

Target Facility	Saitama Super Arena (8 Shintoshin, Chuo-ku, Saitama City)
Partner	GMO Internet Group, Inc.
Nickname (Japanese)	GMOアリーナさいたま
Nickname (English)	GMO ARENA saitama
Contract Period	April 1, 2026 – March 31, 2032 (6 years)
Naming Rights Fee (excluding tax)	FY2026: JPY 50 million per year FY2027 onward: JPY 550 million per year

Background to the Acquisition of the Naming Rights

IT Technologies Cultivated Over 30 Years
Since launching its internet business in 1995, GMO Internet Group has upheld the corporate catchphrase “Internet for Everyone” and has spent the past 30 years placing great importance on creating smiles and inspiration for its customers. Today, the Group operates businesses in internet infrastructure, security, advertising and media, finance, and cryptoassets, and has grown to approximately 8,200 partners (employees) across the Group.

Building Ties with the Community through Art and Music
At the same time, the Group also has an extensive track record in the arts. Masatoshi Kumagai, the Group’s representative, is the world’s largest collector of works by Julian Opie, and the Group’s offices permanently exhibit his works as the “GMO GALLERY,” with exhibitions also presented at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan.

In addition, the Group operates the “GMO Digital Museum” in front of Shibuya Station, where visitors can enjoy genuine works by Banksy together with digital experiences, and has expanded opportunities to engage with digital art through initiatives such as the opening of the immersive cultural facility “OMAKASE Aoyama Garden byGMO.” At “GMO Internet TOWER,” directly connected to Yoga Station in Setagaya-ku, Tokyo, the Group also holds the regularly scheduled music event “GMO LIVE.” In December 2025, the Group co-hosted, together with the local shopping district, a live performance by Tetsuya Komuro and an orchestra combined with one of Japan’s largest projection mapping displays. Through this fusion of art and music, the Group has been working to create community-rooted destinations that are familiar and beloved locally.

A Connection to Our Commitment to Creating Smiles and Inspiration
As one of Japan’s largest arenas, Saitama Super Arena welcomes approximately 2.87 million visitors annually and has welcomed more than 60 million visitors in total. Through music, sports, and entertainment, it has created countless moments of inspiration and joy. GMO Internet Group itself also hosted “GMO SONIC,” a major music festival originating in Japan, every year from 2023 through 2025 before the large-scale renovation.

Placing the name “GMO” on a venue where people’s smiles gather is deeply connected to our aspiration to create smiles and inspiration through No. 1 services. With this conviction, and as GMO Internet Group marks the 30th anniversary of the launch of its internet business, the Group decided to apply to become the Value-Up Naming Rights Partner of Saitama Super Arena as a new challenge toward becoming a corporate group that continues for 100 years and beyond.

The Meaning Behind the Name “GMO ARENA saitama”
The name “GMO ARENA saitama” reflects our determination, as a company that has supported social infrastructure through the internet, to support this important venue, remain close to the city of Saitama, and grow together as a place loved by all.

By evolving the facility through cutting-edge internet technology and hospitality, we aim to spread the inspiration of music, sports, and culture from Saitama to the rest of Japan and to the world. We believe that the role of “GMO ARENA saitama” is to help create a sustainable future together with the local community while bringing smiles and inspiration to all.

Arena Operation Initiatives

Beginning with its renewal opening in April 2027, the arena will embark on a new stage as “GMO ARENA saitama.” We will advance this initiative with a focus on two pillars: the evolution of the arena through IT and contributions to the local community.

Under the concept of “Japan’s Most Advanced Arena = No. 1 Technology × Hospitality,” we will combine cutting-edge technology with top-tier hospitality. We aim to build a model smart arena in which the physical and digital are seamlessly integrated, enhancing the facility’s value while also helping address regional challenges.

Through the power of technology and hospitality, we will present this venue to the world as a symbol of next-generation entertainment. Preparations for full-scale operations will begin in advance in FY2026.

GMO ARENA saitama (Brand Site):https://group.gmo/arena/

Examples of Collaborative Measures to Realize Value Enhancement
Creating Exceptional Visitor Experiences through “No. 1 Technology × Hospitality”
1. Enhancement of Hospitality Facilities and Functions
Drawing on knowledge from the latest arena facilities in Japan and abroad, we will create premium hospitality spaces and provide visitors with unprecedented, exceptional experiences.
2. Cashless Payments at In-Arena Concession Stands
Payment terminals from GMO Financial Gate will be installed throughout the venue to build a comprehensive cashless payment environment. This will provide a smooth payment experience for everyone, including international visitors, dramatically improving convenience.
3. Development of High-Speed Communications Infrastructure
Leveraging the know-how of GMO Internet’s internet infrastructure business, which has introduced approximately 20,000 corporate lines, we will significantly strengthen the venue’s digital infrastructure by deploying high-speed internet connectivity and establishing high-speed Wi-Fi across key areas.
4. Introduction of AI and Robots
Utilizing the AI and robotics expertise of GMO AI & Robotics Corporation, we will begin pilot demonstrations involving humanoid robots at the arena—the first initiative of its kind for an arena anywhere in the world.* Through cutting-edge technology, we will promote improved convenience and enhanced safety for visitors.
* According to the Company's research.

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5. Events to Create Area-Wide Vibrancy
From large-scale events such as “GMO SONIC” to collaboration on various events at Keyaki Hiroba, we will aim to generate vibrancy across the entire area.

Initiatives for the Local Community
1. Strengthening Disaster-Prevention Hub Functions
In the event of a large-scale disaster, communication lines will be opened free of charge to help ensure the safety of people unable to return home and nearby residents.

2. Community Support through Sports
Regular running classes tentatively titled “GMO ARENA saitama RUNNING LAB” will be held for prefectural residents, led by the GMO Internet Group Athletics Team, winner of the 2026 New Year Ekiden.

Comments

Motohiro Ono, Governor of Saitama Prefecture
We are deeply honored that GMO Internet Group, Inc. will support us as the Value-Up Naming Rights Partner of Saitama Super Arena. This facility, which welcomes many visitors every year, is an arena that Saitama Prefecture can proudly present to the world. GMO Internet Group’s cutting-edge technology and its corporate commitment to smiles and inspiration over the past 30 years strongly resonate with the vision we uphold.

I am convinced that, through value enhancement initiatives including AI, robotics, and high-speed communications, “GMO ARENA saitama”—evolved through state-of-the-art technology—will attract even more visitors from Japan and abroad and communicate the appeal of Saitama to the world.

Koji Mikami, President and Representative Director, Saitama Arena Co., Ltd.
Since its opening, Saitama Super Arena has welcomed a great number of visitors, and this year marks 25 years since it first opened. We are delighted to work together with GMO Internet Group, Inc., our new Value-Up Naming Rights Partner, to evolve this venue into a one-of-a-kind global hub for culture and entertainment and a stage for creating the future toward sustainable regional and social development.
Our venue will be reborn as “GMO ARENA saitama,” where visitors can experience firsthand the cutting-edge technologies and hospitality capabilities that GMO Internet Group has cultivated to date. We will continue striving to be an arena loved by all, and we sincerely ask for your continued support and cooperation.

Masatoshi Kumagai, Founder, Chairman and Group CEO, GMO Internet Group, Inc.
We are sincerely honored to have been selected as the Value-Up Naming Rights Partner of Saitama Super Arena. We express our deep gratitude for the trust placed in us by the people of Saitama Prefecture, and we feel a strong sense of responsibility in taking on this role. Since launching our internet business in 1995 under the banner of “Internet for Everyone,” we have accumulated technology over the past 30 years, and I am truly delighted that we can now embody the culmination of that work at “GMO ARENA saitama.”

At “GMO Internet TOWER,” directly connected to Yoga Station, where many people pass through every day, we have also worked to build ties with the community through music events and art. Art and music are a natural match, and by drawing on this experience, we aim to make “GMO ARENA saitama” a place loved by the local community even more than before—not only through a wide variety of events, but also by adding cultural richness through initiatives such as digital art.

GMO Internet Group will go beyond naming rights alone. By fusing technology, hospitality, and the power of art to create new value, we will work with all our strength—together with the people of Saitama Prefecture—to further evolve “GMO ARENA saitama” into a world-class arena that delivers smiles, inspiration, and excitement to everyone.

About Saitama Super Arena

Facility Name	Saitama Super Arena (from April 2026: GMO ARENA saitama)
Location	8 Shintoshin, Chuo-ku, Saitama City
Opened	September 2000
Maximum Capacity	Approx. 37,000 (Stadium Mode)
Annual Visitors	Approx. 2.87 million (FY2024)
Cumulative Visitors	Over 60 million (since opening in 2000)
Primary Uses	Concerts, sporting events, exhibitions, ceremonies, etc.
Closure Period	January 2026 – end of March 2027 (planned)

About GMO Internet Group

GMO Internet Group is a comprehensive internet group centered on its internet infrastructure business, which provides foundational services for businesses—from domains and hosting to payment solutions. The Group also operates internet security, internet advertising and media, internet finance, and cryptoasset businesses.
Under the vision of becoming “the No. 1 corporate group creating the future with AI & Robotics,” the entire Group is utilizing generative AI to:
1. save time and costs,
2. improve the quality of existing services, and
3. provide new services to the AI industry.
Furthermore, by broadly deploying AI-equipped physical robotics, the Group aims to help solve social challenges.