Located at 333 East Trade Street in Charlotte, TWC Arena can seat as many as 20,200 fans for basketball games and 14,100 when it plays host to minor-league hockey games of the Charlotte Checkers of the AHL. When the arena was built, it was seen as having many cutting-edge technological innovations designed to make it as fan-friendly as possible. One of the most impressive was the arena's video screen, affectionately known as "Hornets TV." Measuring an impressive 1628 feet, at the time it was the largest scoreboard that was found in any arena in the United States.
Along with traditional sports such as basketball, Time Warner Cable Arena also plays host to many other regional sporting events that leave fans wanting more. Because stock car racing is so big in North Carolina, the arena plays host each year to the annual NASCAR All-Star Pit Crew Challenge, which is part of the NASCAR Sprint Cup All-Star Race weekend festivities. By moving the competition indoors, it's assured of being held even if inclement weather invades the area. And for fans of everything western, the arena regularly plays host to Professional Bull Riding events and other rodeos during the year.
Originally opening as Charlotte Bobcats Arena in 2005, the arena became known as Time Warner Cable Arena in 2008 when a naming rights deal with Time Warner Cable was announced. Initially opposed by some fans, the deal eventually won over the fans by making sure the team's games were made available on satellite and regional cable television stations, which until then had not been the case.
Despite being built to play host to professional sports teams as well as many of the bigger and well-known college teams, the arena also opens its doors to smaller conferences as well. The Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA), the oldest historically black sports conference in the United States, plays its tournament games there as well. By embracing the old and the new, Time Warner Cable Arena offer something for everyone.