The arena, located on the fairgrounds in Bubeneč in the neighbourhood of Holešovice, opened on 7 March 1962 as Sportovní hala ČSTV with a capacity of 18,500 (14,000 seated).

[2] Its first major event was the 1962 World Figure Skating Championships, which began on 14 March of the same year.

[3] On 17 October 1962, the hall began to host home matches of ice hockey side HC Sparta Praha, the home team defeating rivals ZKL Brno 5–4 in the inaugural fixture.

The arena hosted the 1980 Davis Cup final, where Czechoslovakia defeated Italy, 4–1.

The arena kept the name Sportovní hala until 1999, subsequently entering into title sponsorship agreements.