The Minute Maid Park is one of the most beloved venues in the City of Houston. For over two decades the name was synonymous with the Houston Astros. As of January 2025, the home of the Astros will be come to be known as Daikin Park.
The Houston Astros organization confirmed earlier this Monday that beginning on January 1, 2025, the ballpark will be known as Daikin Park as a part of a 15-year agreement with Daikin Comfort Technologies North America, Inc. – a subsidiary of Japan-based manufactorer Daikin Industries, Ltd. – for naming rights, partnership benefits, and community-driven efforts. The contract with Daikin will last through the 2039 season.
Originally, the contract between the Houston Astros and Minute Maid Co. was supposed to stay intact through 2029. It is unclear at this point why that contract was terminated ahead of time. However, the the company will continue to be a marketing partner of the Astros until that time.
“We are excited to be partnering with Daikin for our ballpark’s naming rights,” Jim Crane, Astros owner and chairman, said in a statement. “Daikin is an international company that proudly calls the Greater Houston area its North American home. The Houston Astros and Daikin share the same values, a commitment to excellence and a desire to give back to our local community.”
Daikin presently has a 4.2-million-square-foot campus and manufacturing facility in Waller just outside of Houston. According to a press release, Daikin has invested over $1 billion in the Houston area.
“The Astros are the pride of Houston, an organization that has built resiliency in hard times, and have succeeded to be a winning team. The coming together of both our organizations is a symbol of our love for our hometown and the communities of the Greater Houston area,” said Takayuki “Taka” Inoue, Executive Vice President and Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, Daikin Comfort Technologies North America, Inc.
Daikin Park will officially be home of the Houston Astros beginning January 1, 2025. On March 24, 2025, Daikin Park will host its first official game featuring Sugar Land Space Cowboys. The Houston Astros will play their first game at Daikin Park on Thursday, March 27, 2025.
See also: 14 development projects that are reshaping Houston