Marvel-ous - Melbourne stadium gets Disney treatment

One of Australia's top sports venues Thursday signed an eight-year deal with the Walt Disney Company and will be renamed Marvel Stadium, promising an "immersive entertainment experience".

The Etihad Stadium in Melbourne, which hosts Aussie Rules football, concerts and other major sporting events, will change its name on September 1.

Marvel is responsible for superhero comic characters including Spiderman, Hulk and Captain America, with Melbourne Stadiums chief Michael Green saying it will be a relationship "like no other".

"We will be delivering an immersive entertainment experience by bringing to life Marvel characters and content throughout Marvel Stadium," he said, without elaborating.

"This partnership will allow us to take the stadium atmosphere to the next level and create memorable experiences for a vast array of audiences and we look forward to delivering a truly game-changing experience."

The announcement follows the Victoria state government recently announcing a Aus$225million (US$170 million) investment to revamp the stadium and the Docklands precinct where it is located.

The arena was known as Colonial Stadium when it opened in 2000 before a change to Telstra Dome in 2002 and Etihad in 2009.