Daisy Espinoza/Houston Public Media
A “Daikin” sign was placed Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025, on the outside of the Houston Astros’ downtown ballpark, which is being renamed after the Japanese air-conditioner manufacturer.
The Houston Astros’ downtown ballpark is being rebranded.
Construction crews on Wednesday began moving Minute Maid signage from the 25-year-old stadium. Signs for Daikin, the ballpark’s new sponsor, started going up Thursday.
At the home-plate entrance on the south side of the stadium, people stopped Thursday morning to take photos of the new “Daikin” sign on display.
The Astros announced in November that Daikin, a Japanese air-conditioner manufacturer with a facility just outside of Houston in Waller, had signed a 15-year naming rights deal with the professional baseball franchise. The ballpark had been named Minute Maid Park, after the Coca-Cola subsidiary, since 2002.
Daisy Espinoza/Houston Public Media
A “Minute Maid” sign appears on the side of the Houston Astros’ downtown ballpark, which is being renamed from Minute Maid Park to Daikin Park, on Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025.
The Astros have not announced the terms of their deal with Daikin or said why their arrangement with Minute Maid ended before the expiration of their contract.
When the downtown ballpark opened in 2000, it was named Enron Field after the Houston-based energy company. The name was changed after Enron collapsed because of a book-cooking scandal.
Daisy Espinoza contributed to this report.