Since its spectacular grand opening on December 31, 1999, the AmericanAirlines Arena-South Florida's Waterfront Showplace and proud home to the 2006 and 2012 NBA Champion Miami HEAT-has become one of the nation's premier facilities in sports and entertainment and a center of activity in South Florida. Built with state-of-the-art sound and lighting and HD and electronic media signage inside and out, the impressive 19,600-seat American Airlines Arena ranks among the nation's top 10 venues annually for total ticket sales and among the top 5 for Latin entertainment.