Why the latest stadium renovations aim to make fans part of the game
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The Chase Center in San Francisco. Photo: Jason O'Rear
Heading into 2025, stadiums are cheering on renovations that prioritize fan experiences.
Why it matters: Fans want not just a seat at a game but an immersive experience, designers believe.
- "If done right, [the sports experience] can be a whole ecosystem that attracts fans and event-goers — from hotels to restaurants and bars, retail and cultural attractions," Gensler CEO Jordan Goldstein tells Axios.
- Gensler, which is responsible for the three-year plan to renovate M&T Bank Stadium in Baltimore and designed the guest experience interior for the Chase Center in San Francisco, is experimenting with ways to activate stadiums during away games so that home fans can share in the gameday experience.
Between the lines: Older venues have to keep up with the fan-forward innovations from the new kids on the block.
- The roughly $2 billion basketball-specific Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif., opened in August. It features The Wall, a section of seating reserved for Los Angeles Clippers fans directly behind one of the baskets, allowing fans to intimidate the opposing team.
- Intuit Dome's giant Jumbotron is decked out with T-shirt cannons designed to reach fans in the upper deck,
Some more notable 2024 renovations include:
- Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, formerly known as the Staples Center, upgraded its food and beverage area, adding new dining options, including Doritos' first restaurant, Doritos After Dark, and a grab-and-go market by Amazon.
- College stadiums also upgraded. SMU's Gerald J. Ford Stadium finished a $100 million renovation project that added 192,500 square feet of athlete facilities and new luxury fan seating.
The big picture: As cities continue to invest in sports and entertainment districts, they hope the affected neighborhoods will grow as a result and turn into year-round economic opportunities.
What's next: This year, Charlotte's Bank of America Stadium was approved for a $650 million update that locks the Carolina Panthers and Charlotte FC into a 20-year agreement to stay in Charlotte.
- D.C.'s Capital One Arena released renderings showing a modern redesign to be completed by the 2027-28 season, Axios' Cuneyt Dil reports. Plans promise "a futuristic and first-class fan experience," Ted Leonsis, the founder and CEO of Monumental Sports, said in a statement.
- Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas, was approved for $182 million in renovations, coming in 2028.
- The Phoenix Mercury training facility designs by Gensler will feature a 63,000-square-feet headquarters, and the University of Maryland Basketball Performance Center, opening this summer, will have lounge areas from both the men's and women's teams.
