Dodgers sign deal to host concerts at Dodger Stadium

Owners of the Los Angeles Dodgers have signed a multi-year agreement to bring concerts back to Dodger Stadium.

The exclusive agreement, announced Tuesday, pairs the Dodgers with the Los Angeles-based Oak View Group, which bills itself as "a sports, music and live entertainment" company geared toward acquiring content for its member arenas and stadiums.

The company's roster of venues already includes The Forum in Inglewood, Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.; Philips Arena in Atlanta; Madison Square Garden in New York; and Amalie Arena in Tampa Bay.

OVG hopes to schedule two or three concerts at Dodger Stadium this year, according to published reports.

The company was formed in 2014 by music and entertainment executives Irving Azoff and Tim Leiweke. 

Until 2013, Lieweke was president and CEO of the Anschutz Entertainment Group, the major sports and live events presenter that owns the Los Angeles Kings, the L.A. Galaxy, part of the Lakers, the L.A. Live and Staples Center complex and other venues around the world.

Azoff, who formerly headed Ticketmaster Entertainment, has been chairman and CEO of Azoff MSG Entertainment, a venture with The Madison Square Garden Company.

“We’ve had many of the greatest names in the music industry perform at Dodger Stadium and teaming up with Irving and Tim will bring many more great performers to our beautiful venue,” Lon Rosen, executive vice president and chief marketing officer for the Dodgers, said in the announcement.

In the deal with the Dodgers, OVG will work to secure concerts for the stadium. The company stated in Tuesday's announcement that it is not a concert promoter, so the stadium will remain open to any other promoters in the industry.

“We said from day one that OVG will set out to work with the best and most iconic properties and this partnership with the Dodgers’ organization helps prove that point,” Leiweke's statement said.  “Music can be a second anchor tenant to these facilities and we believe in that model to help drive more revenue for our clients. Most importantly, this is a great day for music fans in Southern California and we will work tirelessly to give them what they want and an experience that they will remember.”

Since its opening in 1962 Dodger Stadium has played host to some of the biggest names in music. Performers have included The Rolling Stones, the Beatles, KISS, Madonna, The Bee Gees, Elton John, Simon and Garfunkel, Michael Jackson, David Bowie, Genesis, Eric Clapton, U2, the Dave Matthews Band, Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, AC/DC and the Three Tenors.