A New Era For Professional Sports And Entertainment In Seattle, A Fireside Chat With Samantha Holloway

”The structure had a soul,” Samantha Holloway, majority owner and managing partner of One Roof Sports and Entertainment, said of Climate Pledge Arena during her fireside chat with Chris Granger, CEO of Oak View Group (Pollstar’s parent company), that opened the <a href="https://comicvibe.com/neca-2026-con-exclusive/” title=”NECA 2026 Con Exclusive”>2026 VenuesNow Conference.

“It had an old soul. It’s the best of what was but it represents the future,” she said.

One Roof – the parent brand of the NHL’s Seattle Kraken, Climate Pledge Arena, Kraken Community Iceplex, One Roof Foundation, the Memorial Stadium redevelopment and interests in the Coachella Valley Firebirds/Acrisure Arena – took a majority stake in Climate Pledge, the former Key Arena that was given new life with a massive renovation that was completed in 2021.

Holloway sees sports teams as “civic assets” with an obligation to give back to their hometowns and their fans and views her role almost as a steward of a relationship and that understanding informs the way One Roof operates.

”The hope is to bring people together. It’s joy, it’s connection, it’s fun. This is an interesting world and we need connection,” she said. “It’s about the fans and we don’t want to lose that in the story of whatever the last transaction is.”

Already successfully operating one beloved Seattle venue, One Roof is working on saving another. Memorial Stadium, which has played host to decades of sporting and civic events, concerts and high school graduations, is being redeveloped.

”Everyone who grew up in Seattle has a moment with Memorial Stadium, but it was dilapidated and falling down,” she said. “We submitted an RFP through the [One Roof Foundation]. There was some public funding and we raised $30 million.”

Holloway is also the most public face in the effort to bring back NBA basketball to the Emerald City and she believes the people who have clamored for the Sonics to come back will hear soon.

”I’m hopeful and Seattle is ready for a team. The NBA says they’ll sort it out by the end of the year,” she said.