Cleveland's next big sports destination: Cosm
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Is that heaven? No, it's Cosm's shared reality. Photo: Keith Birmingham/Pasadena Star-News via Getty Images
The Browns are heading to Brook Park in a few years, but another major venue where you can watch football and other sports is coming to downtown.
Why it matters: Cosm, a Los Angeles-based sports and entertainment technology company, is building its largest-ever facility in Cleveland in 2027.
- The venue, which broadcasts sporting events, films and more, will serve as an anchor for Bedrock's riverfront development plan in the Gateway District.
Driving the news: The Cleveland City Planning Commission on Friday approved final designs for Cosm, paving the way for construction across from Rocket Arena at East Fourth Street and Huron Road.
By the numbers: Cleveland will be Cosm's fifth location, following existing sites in L.A. and Dallas, and soon-to-be-built venues in Detroit and Atlanta.
- It will be larger than the existing 65,000-square-foot Cosm venues, which hold between 1,700 and 2,600 people and house multiple bars.
- The centerpiece is an 87-foot-wide, domed LED screen that provides a 180-degree immersive viewing experience with camera views exclusive to the Cosm experience.
How it works: Cosm's live offerings include NFL, UFC, NBA, MLB, WWE, NHL, NCAA football and basketball, tennis, golf and soccer.
- Cosm also screens movies like "The Matrix" and "Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory," as well as Cirque du Soleil performances.
💠Troy's thought bubble: I visited the Cosm L.A. last fall. I watched a soccer game, and it was one of the best sports-viewing experiences I've ever had.
- The domed area makes you feel like you're at the game, sitting in VIP seats where servers come to you.
- The rest of the venue featured several bars (including an outdoor area) and huge screens that rivaled the best sports bars in Northeast Ohio.
If you go: Ticket prices vary based on the event. For example, it costs $52 to sit in the dome for Saturday's WWE Elimination Chamber at Cosm L.A.
- It's $29 to sit in the hall, where you can see the screens from further away, and $12 to watch the event at one of the bars.
The bottom line: When it opens, Cosm will instantly become a premier place to watch sports in a city obsessed with them.
