The Athletics' 2028 stadium calls tech its "cornerstone pillar"; Sphere's venue profit jumps 90% as 2027 residencies stack up
Competition among Las Vegas venues is shifting to technology. The Las Vegas Athletics' new MLB ballpark, due to open in 2028, calls technology a "cornerstone pillar" of the fan experience, while Sphere, open since 2023, keeps lifting results with immersive shows.
The Athletics' ballpark: tech as the "cornerstone pillar"
Vikrant Bodalia, the Athletics' senior vice president of technology, who worked on the opening of T-Mobile Arena, told Ballpark Digest that technology is the "cornerstone pillar." Frictionless markets and paperless ticketing are already in place, and every fan will have Wi-Fi.
Plans include between-innings fan contests, videoscreens of every size from main displays to fascia boards and under-deck screens, and top-tier acoustics. The team says the park will not match Sphere's technology but will add immersive video boards for baseball and for events such as concerts. Main roof trusses are in place and interior work is under way.
Sphere: venue revenue up 14%, adjusted operating income up 90%
Sphere is already proving the business case. In Q3 (July-September), reported Nov. 5, venue revenue rose 14% to $198.9 million and adjusted operating income rose 90% to $32.4 million, driven by more showings of The Wizard of Oz at Sphere, whose 4D effects were expanded in September.
The calendar is filling: P!NK returns for a 2027 residency, Rush announced five "Elevate From The Norm" dates, and the Eagles and John Mayer added shows on demand. Sphere is pursuing new venues in Abu Dhabi and National Harbor, Maryland, while dropping the extreme-sports film "From the Edge" because "the original concept did not work."
An open market for fan-experience tech
Both venues point the same way: no lines, entry and payment by phone, and fans engaged by screens and sound between plays and songs. For Korean companies with immersive content, spatial audio, AI fan engagement or payment and access tech, Las Vegas is both a proving ground and a place to build references. CES week in January is a chance to meet venue operators in person.
K-EnterTech Hub at CES 2027 — CES TO HOLLYWOOD
With smartcms, K-EnterTech Hub runs the CES 2027 Entertainment Tech Insight Tour: Digital Hollywood (Jan. 5), C Space and award-winning entertainment-tech booths, Sphere and Hollywood studios in Los Angeles — 15 million won per person, flights, hotels, escort and report included — plus our Entertainment Tech Summit at UNLV at 5 p.m. on Jan. 7. Contact: Nam Hyun-jung, CEO of smartcms (emilia@smartcms.co.kr)