• Loading stock data...
Thursday, March 28, 2024
2024 Best Venues nominations are open now through April 8! Submit Now

The Benefits of Visiting Other Stadiums

At the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium, fan-first pricing will be key to the experience. Photo via Mercedes-Benz Stadium

By: Meaghan McCloskey, @Meaghan_Mc3

As a baseball fan, one of my goals is to visit all thirty MLB stadiums. Not only do I get to see teams I normally don’t see, I get to see what makes each ballpark unique. What type of local food and beer do they have? What walk-up songs do players use? What is there to do around the stadium before the game starts? When I realized I wanted to work in sports, I used my visits to other stadiums as a learning opportunity and started paying attention to the business side of it. What was game entertainment like? How did teams keep fans engaged during high-leverage situations? How were sponsors recognized?

If working in sports is what you want to do, I highly recommend visiting as many venues as possible across all sports. I’ve been to seven MLB stadiums, countless college games, an NBA game, a minor league hockey game, and will be visiting my second NFL stadium this weekend when I go to New Orleans for the Seahawks-Saints game. Each stadium has provided valuable insight to the way teams engage their fans across various platforms.

Next time you go to a stadium you don’t consider “home”, keep these things in the back of your mind:

1. Pre-game entertainment: What sorts of games do fans have the opportunity to participate in? How are starting line ups announced? What are the hype videos like?

2. In-game: How is music used in various situations? What do teams do during inning breaks, timeouts, half time, etc. to keep fans engaged? How is the big screen utilized?

3. Post-game: What’s done if a team wins? What do they do if they lose? What promotions can people take advantage of based on plays that happened in the game (coupons for free tacos, haircuts, etc.)?

4. Miscellaneous: What traditions do teams have, and when do they occur? How are sponsors recognized? What are the front office members doing (they’re pretty easy to spot on-field/court)? Are there any special seating areas for spirit groups (King’s Court for the Mariners Felix Hernandez, student sections, etc.)?

I had a friend visit Wrigley Field for the first time in July, and when I asked her what her favorite part was, she responded with, “The entire experience!” Even getting her ticket scanned was amazing because she felt like she was walking into history. I posed a similar question on Twitter to the #sportsbiz community, asking them what their favorite part about visiting stadiums was, and here are some of the responses I received:

Have you been to other stadiums? Share in the comments below or reach out on Twitter to share some of your favorite parts of your experience!

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Caitlin Clark

Iowa–Ohio State Is the Most Expensive Women’s Basketball Game Ever

The average purchased ticket is $577, while the get-in is $491.
Carolina Panthers

For Panthers, the Cost of a Two-Win Season Is a 4% Ticket Hike

Lower-level tickets are going up an average of 7%.
Kansas City Chiefs

Want To See Dolphins-Chiefs? It’s Now Super-Cheap. (But Bundle Up)

Historically-cold weather chills ticket demand for NFL playoff game.
Inter Miami CF forward Lionel Messi looks on before taking a free-kick against New York City during the second half at DRV PNK Stadium.

Inter Miami Already Sold Out 2024 Season Tickets

Miami saw a 1,215% surge in demand even after prices almost doubled.
podcast thumbnail mobile
Front Office Sports Today

MLB Opens Season With MLBPA, Ohtani, and Ownership Dramas

0:00
0:00

Featured Today

March 22, 2024, Brooklyn, NY, USA; Northwestern Wildcats guard Brooks Barnhizer (13) and Northwestern Wildcats guard Boo Buie (0) react in overtime against the Florida Atlantic Owls in the first round of the 2024 NCAA Tournament at the Barclays Center.
March 27, 2024

‘An Expensive Game’: March Madness and NIL Collectives Are Intertwined

At schools nationwide, collectives are fueling NCAA tournament runs and vice versa.
Iowa’s Caitlin Clark (22) waits to be announced in the starting lineup against West Virginia in a NCAA Tournament round of 32 game Monday, March 25, 2024 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, Iowa.
March 26, 2024

The Women’s Trading Card Market Is Overlooked. Can Caitlin Clark Change That?

Traditionally, women’s sports cards have been a marginal part of collectibles.
The Sports Illustrated cover signed by Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez, February 27, 2019, at Don & Charlie's, 7501 E. Camelback Road, Scottsdale. Don Charlie S
March 24, 2024

Everything You Need to Know About the Ongoing ‘Sports Illustrated’ Saga

Understanding the strange state of affairs for the nearly 70-year-old publication.

Careers

Powered By

Careers in Sports

Looking for a new job? Check out these featured listings and search for openings all over the world.
Live Nation
Multiple - USA Careers
Adidas
Multiple - USA Careers
Spotify
Multiple - USA Careers
Sponsored

How Sportradar and the NBA are Partnering to Fuel Fan Engagement

How Sportradar and the NBA are utilizing data to enhance fan engagement
Oakland-A's
April 25, 2023

Oakland A’s Could Share Stadium with Triple-A Team

The Oakland A’s could be searching for a place to play.
Sponsored

MLS’ Chris Schlosser on Pioneering the Digital-First Sports League with AI

Chris Schlosser discusses MLS’s growth and digital transformation.
Sponsored

How Daily Fantasy Sports Solved NBA Fantasy

The remarkable growth of the #1 Discord sports server in the world.
Titans stadium.
April 19, 2023

Titans’ Historic New $2.1B Stadium One Step Closer to Reality

About $1.26B in public money would go toward the new stadium.
Crypto-markets-sports-sponsorship
May 20, 2022

Crypto Crash Impact on Sports Sponsorships

Prior to the last two weeks, cryptocurrencies, NFTs, exchanges, and a host…
Insights-Wearables-Consumers
March 11, 2022

The Evolution of Consumer Wearables

The wearables market has seen incredible amounts of growth since the onset of the pandemic. Trends like telemedicine and remote patient monitoring have helped spur adoption and inspired new consumer products that allow for the tracking and collection of biometric data.
February 11, 2022

The Role of Live Sports in Streaming

The streaming wars have intensified as the field is as competitive as ever. One way to retain customers? The answer might be live sports.