Zoox and T-Mobile Arena Forge Groundbreaking Partnership to Redefine Autonomous Transportation and Fan Experiences in Las Vegas
Las Vegas has long been synonymous with reinvention, spectacle, and technological ambition. Now, the city is preparing to take another decisive step into the future of urban mobility and live entertainment. T-Mobile Arena, one of the world’s most iconic sports and entertainment venues, has entered into a multi-year strategic partnership with Zoox, the autonomous ride-hailing company owned by Amazon. Under the agreement, Zoox has been named an Official Venue Partner of T-Mobile Arena, marking a milestone moment for both organizations and for the broader evolution of autonomous transportation.
Brokered by AEG Global Partnerships, the collaboration represents Zoox’s first formal partnership with a major sports arena and introduces the first autonomous ride-hailing sponsorship in T-Mobile Arena’s history. More than a branding agreement, the partnership lays the groundwork for a fully integrated transportation experience that aims to transform how fans arrive at, depart from, and interact with one of Las Vegas’ most visited destinations.
A New Era of Venue Accessibility
Central to the agreement is Zoox’s planned service expansion to T-Mobile Arena, which is expected to launch in early 2026. Once live, visitors will be able to request fully autonomous rides to and from the arena using the Zoox mobile app. The service will feature a dedicated Zoox pickup and drop-off lane located at the West VIP entrance, ensuring a streamlined, intuitive, and premium arrival experience.
The inclusion of exclusive wayfinding signage throughout the arena will further simplify navigation for riders, guiding guests seamlessly from the venue to their robotaxi. These design elements are intended to remove friction from one of the most common pain points of live events—transportation congestion—while offering a futuristic, purpose-built alternative to traditional ride-hailing services.
For fans attending sold-out concerts, high-stakes playoff games, or major headline events, the ability to arrive and depart in an autonomous vehicle designed specifically for urban ride-hailing represents a significant upgrade in convenience, comfort, and accessibility.
A Transformative Moment for Live Entertainment
According to AEG leadership, the partnership reflects a broader vision for how world-class venues can embrace next-generation technology to elevate the guest experience.
“This represents a transformative moment for both T-Mobile Arena and the future of transportation in Las Vegas,” said Sally Bae, Senior Vice President of Global Partnerships for AEG in Las Vegas. “By integrating Zoox’s innovative autonomous vehicle technology into our venue operations, we’re not only enhancing accessibility for the millions of fans who visit us each year but also reinforcing our commitment to bringing cutting-edge experiences to our guests. This collaboration sets a new benchmark for how premier entertainment venues can embrace the future of mobility.”
T-Mobile Arena welcomes more than one million visitors annually and hosts over 100 events each year, ranging from Vegas Golden Knights NHL games to globally renowned concerts, award shows, and special events. As attendance continues to grow, transportation logistics have become increasingly critical to maintaining a seamless fan experience.
By embedding autonomous mobility directly into venue operations, the arena positions itself at the forefront of innovation while addressing real-world challenges related to traffic flow, parking constraints, and last-mile connectivity.
Deepening Zoox’s Footprint in Las Vegas
The partnership also strengthens Zoox’s rapidly expanding presence in Las Vegas, a city the company has called home since 2019. Earlier this year, Zoox officially launched its autonomous ride-hailing service in the city, connecting riders to popular destinations such as Resorts World Las Vegas, AREA15, and Topgolf. With Sphere and T-Mobile Arena slated to be added to the service network in 2026, Zoox is steadily building a connected ecosystem of high-demand destinations.
This latest agreement builds upon Zoox’s existing relationship with the Vegas Golden Knights, the NHL franchise that calls T-Mobile Arena home. While Zoox has previously partnered with the team, the new venue-level collaboration elevates the company’s role from sponsor to integral part of the arena experience itself.
Michael White, Chief Product Officer at Zoox, emphasized the strategic importance of the partnership and its alignment with the company’s broader mission.
“T-Mobile Arena has long been at the heart of Las Vegas’ incredible sports and entertainment scene, and we’re thrilled to offer a new transportation option for guests of this premier venue,” White said. “Zoox is redefining how people move through Las Vegas—in a purpose-built robotaxi that extends the curated experience beyond the arena, keeping the energy alive so you can savor the moment with friends. As we continue our Las Vegas service expansion, adding premier destinations like T-Mobile Arena demonstrates our commitment to connecting riders to the experiences that matter most.”
Purpose-Built Autonomous Mobility
Unlike retrofitted vehicles adapted for autonomy, Zoox’s robotaxi was designed from the ground up for driverless operation. With bidirectional driving capability, symmetrical design, and passenger-focused interiors, the vehicle reflects a fundamentally different approach to ride-hailing.
For large-scale venues such as T-Mobile Arena, this purpose-built design offers several advantages. Autonomous operation enables consistent routing, predictable pickup points, and reduced congestion during peak ingress and egress periods. For fans, the experience promises a quieter, smoother, and more social ride—allowing groups to stay together and maintain the excitement of the event even after leaving the venue.
The partnership also signals growing confidence in autonomous technology as a viable solution for high-density, high-demand environments—a critical milestone for the industry as it moves from pilot programs to real-world, consumer-facing deployments.
Integrated Branding and Fan Engagement
Beyond transportation, Zoox’s presence will be woven throughout the arena via a comprehensive branding strategy. This includes prominent Zoox branding on the main concourse bar, integration into digital displays, and placement on wayfinding signage across the venue. Additionally, Zoox will be featured in T-Mobile Arena’s “Know Before You Go” emails, ensuring guests are informed about transportation options before arriving.
These touchpoints are designed not only to build brand awareness but also to normalize autonomous ride-hailing as a practical, everyday option for event-goers. By encountering Zoox branding at multiple stages of their journey—from pre-event planning to on-site navigation—fans are introduced to the technology in a familiar, trusted environment.
Looking Ahead to 2026 and Beyond
When the service officially launches in early 2026, fans will be able to select T-Mobile Arena as a pickup or drop-off location directly within the Zoox app. Riders traveling from anywhere within the service area will have the option to arrive autonomously, without the need to navigate traffic or parking themselves.
Both organizations have also indicated that the partnership will continue to evolve beyond the initial rollout. Following the launch, Zoox and T-Mobile Arena plan to explore additional on-site activations, special promotions, and fan engagement initiatives designed to further enhance the game-day and concert-going experience.
These future activations could include interactive displays, limited-time experiences, or exclusive perks for Zoox riders—reinforcing the idea that transportation is no longer just a means to an end, but a core part of the entertainment journey.
A Model for the Future of Cities and Venues
As Las Vegas continues to position itself as a global leader in innovation, the partnership between T-Mobile Arena and Zoox reflects a broader trend toward integrated, technology-driven urban experiences. The convergence of autonomous mobility and live entertainment highlights how cities can leverage emerging technologies to improve accessibility, sustainability, and visitor satisfaction at scale.
For Zoox, the collaboration represents a critical step in demonstrating the commercial viability of autonomous ride-hailing in real-world, high-profile environments. For T-Mobile Arena and AEG, it underscores a commitment to staying ahead of the curve by embracing solutions that enhance the guest experience while preparing for the future of transportation.
Together, the two organizations are not just launching a new service—they are redefining how fans move, gather, and experience entertainment in one of the world’s most dynamic cities. As early 2026 approaches, Las Vegas visitors can look forward to a glimpse of the future, arriving at one of the city’s most iconic venues in a robotaxi built for the next era of mobility.
ABOUT ZOOX
Based in Foster City, CA, Zoox is reinventing personal transportation–building a safer, cleaner, and more enjoyable future on the road. At the core of its vision is a purpose-built robotaxi that offers the world a better way to ride. Through a combination of cutting-edge technology and a focus on the rider experience, Zoox is transforming urban mobility with its comprehensive and cohesive autonomous ride-hailing service. Zoox is an independent subsidiary of Amazon.
ABOUT T-MOBILE ARENA
T-Mobile Arena, the 20,000-seat venue located on the Las Vegas Strip between Park MGM and New York-New York, opened April 6, 2016. The arena hosts more than 100 events annually including major headline entertainment, awards shows, UFC, boxing, basketball and other sporting events, family shows and special events. T-Mobile Arena also is the home of the Vegas Golden Knights, a National Hockey League expansion team and the city’s first professional sports team, as well as UFC’s exclusive Las Vegas arena destination. The venue, named the No. 1 venue on Billboard Magazine’s 2018 Arena Power List as well as the “Best New Major Concert Venue” by Pollstar Magazine in 2016, features 50 luxury suites, more than two dozen private loge boxes, complete broadcast facilities, and other specially designed exclusive hospitality offerings and fan amenities destined to create a guest experience second to none. Toshiba Plaza, an adjacent two-acre outdoor entertainment space, features performance stages, a variety of video screens and other interactive content and display areas. Designed and built to prioritize environmental sustainability, T-Mobile Arena was awarded Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design® (LEED) Gold certification by the U.S. Green Building Council in 2016. T-Mobile Arena is a privately funded joint venture between AEG and MGM Resorts International
Source Link:https://www.businesswire.com/
