PlayStation Theater

PlayStation Theater (formerly Best Buy Theater and Nokia Theatre Times Square)[1] was an indoor live events venue in New York City, owned and managed by Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) (100%), located on 1515 Broadway, at the corner of Broadway and 44th Street. It was designed by architect David Rockwell and opened in September 2005. The venue had a large standing room orchestra section, combined with a large area of seating towards the rear of the auditorium.[2]

PlayStation Theater
Facade of the venue with the last name prior to closure
Former namesNokia Theatre Times Square (2005–10)
Best Buy Theater (2010–15)
Address1515 Broadway
New York City, NY 10036
LocationTimes Square, Manhattan
Public transitNew York City Subway: ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ at Times Square–42nd Street/Port Authority Bus Terminal
NYCT Bus: M7, M20, M34A SBS, M42, M104
Port Authority Bus Terminal
OwnerAEG Live
(100%)
TypeConcert theater
Capacity2,150
Construction
Broke groundAugust 2004
Built2004–05
OpenedSeptember 19, 2005 (2005-09-19)
ClosedDecember 31, 2019 (2019-12-31)
Construction cost$21 million
Website
Venue website

The venue was originally built as the Loew's Astor Plaza Theatre, a movie theater operated by Loews Theatres, which opened in 1974 and closed in August 2004.[3] The estimated total cost of the transformation was $21 million.[4]

Due to the expiration of its lease, the PlayStation Theater closed on December 31, 2019 after a set of shows by Philadelphia trance fusion band the Disco Biscuits.[5]

Features

The venue seated 2,100 and featured an 85-foot-long (26 m) LED high-definition screen that was one of the largest marquees on Broadway. The venue was also capable of presenting live footage from the stage or anywhere else in the theater. The theater's marquee sign was directly connected to MTV Studios and allowed for live footage to be displayed there as well.[2][6]

The theater lounge featured interactive and downloadable content for phones and other media devices. The building itself included two private mezzanines, several dressing rooms, and a green room for up to 30 people.[4] The theater hosted concerts, event parties, live television, web broadcasts, and award shows,[2] including the Heisman Trophy Ceremony, which took place at the theater from 2005 to 2019.

  • Exterior of the venue when it was Best Buy Theater
  • Exterior of the venue when it was Nokia Theatre Times Square

References
  1. Waddel, Ray (2015-10-08). "Best Buy Theater Is Now the PlayStation Theater". Billboard. Retrieved 2015-12-28.
  2. "About NOKIA Theatre Times Square". NOKIA Theatre Times Square. Archived from the original on 2009-12-12. Retrieved 2019-12-08.
  3. "PlayStation Theater in New York, NY". Cinema Treasures. Retrieved 2019-12-08.
  4. http://www.allbusiness.com/retail-trade/miscellaneous-retail-retail-stores-not/4379406-1.html
  5. Aswad, Jem (2019-08-20). "New York's PlayStation Theater to Close (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Retrieved 2019-12-08.
  6. "Best Buy Theater". Goldstar. Retrieved 2019-12-08.

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