Fiserv Forum

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Lore & Background

The arena's creation was driven by an urgent need: the BMO Harris Bradley Center was one of the oldest active NBA arenas by 2018, and the NBA informed the Bucks that the franchise would be bought and moved to Las Vegas or Seattle unless a new arena was under construction by early 2018. Former owner Herb Kohl and new owners Marc Lasry and Wesley Edens each contributed $100 million toward construction. The Wisconsin Senate approved funding on July 15, 2015, by a 21–10 margin, and the State Assembly followed on July 28, 2015, by a 52–34 margin. Governor Scott Walker signed the plan on August 12, 2015. The Milwaukee city council approved it 12–3 on September 22, 2015. The official groundbreaking was at the 2nd annual Bucks Block Party on June 18, 2016. The roof was topped off on August 24, 2017. Fiserv Forum officially opened with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the 4th annual Bucks Block Party on August 26, 2018. The first live event was The Killers with Violent Femmes on September 4, 2018.

In Their Own Story

The Bucks played their inaugural game at Fiserv Forum on October 3, 2018, a preseason victory over the Chicago Bulls, 116–82. The regular-season home opener was on October 19, 2018, against the Indiana Pacers, a 118–101 win. The Bucks finished their first season in the Forum with their first 60-win season since 1980–81 and a 33–8 home record, the second-best in the NBA. On April 14, 2019, the Forum hosted its first NBA playoff game, Game 1 of the first round against the Detroit Pistons, a 121–86 win. On December 22, 2019, the Bucks had their 50th consecutive sellout at the Forum, the longest such streak in franchise history, which started on November 16, 2018. On February 22, 2020, the Bucks set a new attendance record of 18,290 against the Philadelphia 76ers, a 119–98 win. That record was broken on February 28, 2020, with 18,412 fans watching a 133–86 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. On July 11, 2021, Fiserv Forum hosted its first NBA Finals game, Game 3 against the Phoenix Suns, a 120–100 win. On July 20, 2021, the Forum hosted Game 6 of the NBA Finals, where the Bucks clinched their first NBA championship in 50 years, beating the Suns 105–98. The Bucks compiled a regular season record of 161–45 (.782 winning percentage) at the Forum.

Reader's Guide

Fiserv Forum is the central building in the 30-acre development district around the arena, newly named 'Deer District' in May 2019. The arena holds 17,500 people and has fewer luxury suites but more club seating than the BMO Harris Bradley Center. The plaza outside, unveiled on August 26, 2018, is named 'Herb Kohl Way' to pay tribute to the former Bucks owner. The plaza is home to restaurants and a beer garden, where people can gather year-round to watch sporting events on a large, outdoor television. In February 2019, Johnson Controls unveiled a three-dimensional statue of their logo placed outside the Fiserv Forum, which can glow in multiple colors at night and will specifically turn green after every Bucks victory. The arena also continues a Milwaukee tradition of hosting the New Year's Eve game for the Harlem Globetrotters, with 2020 being the only pause in decades.

Did You Know?

• The city of Milwaukee sold the land for Fiserv Forum to the team for $1.
• The arena's naming rights were agreed to in a 25-year deal with Fiserv, a financial services technology company based in the Milwaukee suburb of Brookfield, on July 26, 2018.
• Fiserv Forum held its first ice hockey games on December 28, 2021, with the inaugural Holiday Face–Off tournament.
• The arena hosted the 2024 Republican National Convention from July 15–18, 2024.
• A three-dimensional statue of the Johnson Controls logo outside the arena glows in multiple colors at night and turns green after every Bucks victory.

Origins and Urgency

The journey to Fiserv Forum began with the BMO Harris Bradley Center, which was one of the oldest active NBA arenas by the end of the Bucks' tenancy in 2018. The funds for the Bradley Center were donated by Jane Bradley Pettit and Lloyd Pettit without any provision for long-term capital needs or annual operating expenses. On September 18, 2013, then-deputy NBA commissioner Adam Silver toured the arena and said it was a few thousand square feet short of NBA standards and lacked numerous amenities. On April 16, 2014, Kohl announced an agreement to sell the franchise to Marc Lasry and Wesley Edens, with provisions for $100 million each from Kohl and the new ownership group toward a new arena. The NBA then informed the Bucks that the franchise would not be allowed to renew their lease on the Bradley Center, which would expire after the 2017–18 season, and that the team needed to have either a new arena completed or under construction by the beginning of 2018, or the franchise would be bought and sold to another ownership group in Las Vegas or Seattle. On July 15, 2015, the Wisconsin Senate approved funding by a 21–10 margin, and on July 28, 2015, the Wisconsin State Assembly approved funding by a 52–34 margin. On August 12, 2015, Governor Scott Walker signed the arena spending plan at Wisconsin State Fair Park in West Allis, Wisconsin. The Milwaukee city council voted 12–3 on September 22, 2015, to approve the plan.

Construction and Opening

On April 13, 2016, the Bucks signed a 30-year lease to play in the new arena. The official groundbreaking was during the 2nd annual Bucks Block Party on June 18, 2016. On May 2, 2017, Bucks president Peter Feigin stated that construction remained on schedule and on budget, after the first roof truss was installed and bolted into place. The roof was officially topped off on August 24, 2017. On August 26, 2018, Fiserv Forum was officially opened in a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the 4th annual Bucks Block Party. The first live event was The Killers with Violent Femmes on September 4, 2018. The Bucks played their inaugural game at the Forum during the preseason against the Chicago Bulls on October 3, 2018, a 116–82 win. The regular-season home opener was played on October 19, 2018, against the Indiana Pacers, a 118–101 win.

Athletic Success and Records

The Bucks' first season in the Forum was a great success, with the Bucks finishing the regular season with their first 60-win season since 1980–81. They went 33–8 at the Forum, the second-best home record in the NBA. On April 14, 2019, the Forum hosted its first NBA playoff game, Game 1 of the first round between the Bucks and the Detroit Pistons, a 121–86 win. On December 22, 2019, the Bucks had their 50th consecutive sellout at the Forum, the longest such streak in franchise history, which started on November 16, 2018. On February 22, 2020, the Bucks set a new attendance record of 18,290 against the Philadelphia 76ers, a 119–98 win. This record was broken on February 28, 2020, with 18,412 fans watching a 133–86 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. On July 11, 2021, Fiserv Forum hosted its first NBA Finals game, Game 3 between the Bucks and the Phoenix Suns, a 120–100 win. On July 20, the Forum hosted Game 6 of the NBA Finals, where the Bucks clinched their first NBA championship in 50 years, beating the Suns 105–98. The Bucks compiled a regular season record of 161–45 (.782 winning percentage) at the Forum.

Tenancy and Community Role

Fiserv Forum is the home of the Milwaukee Bucks and the Marquette Golden Eagles men's basketball team. Marquette University agreed to lease the arena for its home games beginning in 2018. Unlike Marquette's previous agreement with the Bradley Center, the lease agreement with Fiserv Forum ends in the spring of 2025, allowing Marquette the option to decide to pursue building its own smaller arena for lesser-attended match-ups, and to only utilize the Fiserv Forum for larger Big East Conference and Badgers-Golden Eagles rivalry games. On March 11, 2019, it was announced that the Fiserv Forum would host the 2020 Democratic National Convention from July 13 to 16, 2020. It was later postponed to August 17–20, 2020, due to the coronavirus pandemic. On June 24, 2020, it was announced that the convention would be downsized and instead held at the nearby Wisconsin Center. On July 15–18, 2024, the Forum hosted the 2024 Republican National Convention. On August 20, 2024, the Forum hosted a campaign rally with the Democratic Party's nominees, Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, that coincided with the 2024 Democratic National Convention in Chicago's United Center.