From left to right: Martin Tremblay, Chief Operating Officer of Quebecor Sports and Entertainment Group; Jean-François Chalifoux, president and CEO of Beneva; Martin Robert, EVP and lead, talent, culture and communications of Beneva; and Stéphane Lord, VP sales of Quebecor Sports and Entertainment Group. Photo by Christian Gingras,

Recently created insurance heavyweight Beneva has struck a sponsorship deal with the Videotron Centre in Quebec City, renewing a partnership first established by one of its predecessors.

The arena, operated by Quebecor Sports and Entertainment Group, has seating for over 18,000 attendees during hockey games and over 20,000 for concerts. The arena is currently home to the QMJHL’s Quebec Remparts, which Quebecor acquired in 2014.

Last year, it was announced that insurance companies La Capitale and SSQ Insurance would be merging to create Beneva. Both companies are currently in the process of transitioning to the new identity, with La Capitale taking on the new name next year and SSQ in 2023.

The new deal extends La Capitale’s previous sponsorship at the arena, first established in 2017. Existing La Capitale assets will be changed to bear the Beneva brand, namely the Le Loft La Capitale corporate suite, now the Le Loft Beneva. Beneva will also be the official presenter of the arena’s events calendar, as well as inheriting La Capitale’s duties as a major-tier sponsor of the Remparts.

The price and terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Though not currently host to an NHL team, Videotron Centre was designed with one in mind and has been central to on-and-off efforts to bring one to Quebec City since it opened in 2015. Quebec Premier Francois Legault said last month he has meetings planned with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman to discuss the possibility of bringing the defunct Quebec Nordiques back after the team left the city to become the Colorado Avalanche in 1995.