New Stadiums Go Far Beyond Sports

A new class of sports stadiums is on the rise, and they offer much more than an arena to play games. 

The Dallas Cowboys, the most valuable franchise in all of sports recently valued at $5.7 billion, set the precedent. 

The Cowboys’ $1.15 billion 80,000-seat AT&T Stadium is the largest covered stadium in the world. The team’s 90-acre, $1.5 billion headquarters — called “The Star” — includes a 16-story hotel, private club, hall of fame, stores, restaurants, and event space.

In the last year, we’ve caught more glimpses of what stadiums will be like in the future.

Real Madrid’s plans for its stadium’s $700 million refurbishment feature a casino, fine dining, a museum, and shops.

The Jacksonville Jaguars hope to build what they’re calling the “Stadium of the Future,” which would include developing the surrounding area with a luxury hotel, parks, and more. The first planned step is a $441 million football facility next to their stadium designed as a practice space that also offers fan experiences. 

The Oakland A’s also proposed a neighborhood development plan as part of a $12 billion stadium proposal, or the team may move to Las Vegas, where a new stadium could cost around $1 billion.

New NFL stadiums typically cost between $750 million and $1.9 billion. 

Major League Soccer, meanwhile, has encouraged stadiums built specifically for soccer. FC Cincinnati opened its $250 million venue in May; St Louis SC’s and Nashville SC’s stadiums are under construction.