Mercedes-Benz Arena (originally known as
O2 World) is a multi-use
indoor arena in the
Friedrichshain neighborhood of Berlin, Germany, that opened in September 2008. Developed by
Anschutz Entertainment Group, it was named O2 World, when
O2 Germany purchased the naming rights. With a capacity of 17,000 people, it is home to the
Eisbären Berlin ice hockey club and the
ALBA Berlin basketball team, and is used for other
ice hockey, basketball and
handball matches as well as concerts. The surrounding area will be filled with various entertainment venues including a cinema, a casino, a hotel and various bars and restaurants. The arena hosted the 2008–09
Euroleague Final four. The arena was one of the most prominent elements of the
Mediaspree urban redevelopment project, quickly gaining emblematic status in the debates surrounding the project's impact.