The topic of stadiums and how they’ve evolved to increase the fan experience is an enormous one, one that, I might spend three or four sessions in my classes just talking about fandom and how people enjoy the experience of being in a stadium. The question that most teams ask is, how can they get people to enjoy the game as much in the stadium as they would on their couch at home? With high-definition televisions and beautiful furniture in their homes, sometimes it’s hard to get people off the couch and coming to the game, so how do you do that?
Well, you provide an experience for them that is unparalleled, that is a live sports experience like no other, and you do it in a way where people enjoy getting to the stadium, enjoy the pre-game festivities, and enjoy the fact that they can socialize with their friends both through their mobile devices and physically in the stands. That’s how you keep people connected and coming to the venues, and it means there’s a variety of seating possibilities.
These days, it’s no longer just going to the stadium and sitting in the stands, where there’s 100,000 people sitting in either the lower deck or upper deck. Instead, you’ve got six to 10 varieties of seating arrangements that people can avail themselves of and make themselves comfortable. They can come with friends; they can come individually; they can stand. There are different places to get food, there’s ethnic food, and there’s a variety of different entertainment that happens during the game.
Then, if you happen to step into the concourses, the game’s still on there with lots of TVs (and even multiple screens for fantasy sports). Having all of this gets you coming to the building to enjoy a wide variety of experiences. In a way, it’s almost like having three screens while you’re at a live event.
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