Luxury box

Last updated
C. Richard Vaughn Towers, luxury boxes at North Carolina State's Carter-Finley Stadium Carter-Finley Stadium.jpg
C. Richard Vaughn Towers, luxury boxes at North Carolina State's Carter–Finley Stadium

The luxury box (or skybox [1] ) and club seating constitute the most expensive class of seating in arenas and stadiums, and generate much higher revenues than regular seating. [2] [3] Club ticketholders often receive exclusive access to an indoor part of the venue through private club entrances, to areas containing special restaurants, bars, merchandise stands, and lounge areas of the venue that are not otherwise available to regular ticketholders. [4]

Contents

Location

These special private seating sections located within stadiums, arenas, and other sporting and entertainment venues, are typically located in the midsection and/or main stand or grandstand. However at some tennis venues (where stadiums are smaller) the luxury boxes are often but not always located at the lowest ring of seats, nearest to the playing court.

Stadium luxury boxes sometimes have their indoor facility glass panels which can be opened to a balcony type area, in order for the user to feel immersed in the action of the event.

Interior and amenities

The inside of a luxury box typically includes a bar, televisions, a small seating area, and a private bathroom. The boxes are usually catered, with guests enjoying corporate hospitality, with champagne, canapés, shrimp, and sushi being common favorites. The lease to a box usually comes with allocated parking spaces at the venue and access is usually provided with separate entrances, away from the general public gates.

Commercial aspects

Most luxury suites are leased by contract on a yearly basis, though some are bought in a manner similar to that for a condominium. These methods usually grant access to the box by the leaseholder or owner for every event held at the venue. A few venues rent them on a per-event basis. Prices vary from US$5,000 up to the millions of dollars depending on the venue and events held there.

Luxury boxes are a significant source of revenue for most professional sports teams and venue owners. Since the late 1990s, it has been proven that luxury suites and club seating are lucrative revenue-generating features that make pro sports teams financially successful in order to remain competitive long-term. [5] [6] [7] [8] While originally widespread among North American major pro sports, this trend is also gaining popularity in Europe. For instance, Emirates Stadium's revenue from premium seating and corporate boxes alone is nearly as high as the revenue from Arsenal F.C.'s previous stadium at Highbury. [9]

Particularly in North American major professional sports leagues, luxury suite revenue does not have to be shared unlike gate receipts which are split with visiting teams, leading to teams demanding new venues that contain more luxury boxes. [10]

Effect on other fans' seating

Some[ who? ] have commented that the rise of the luxury box, along with club seating, has degraded the game-day experience for the average fan, because placement of the boxes has moved the upper decks higher and farther away from the playing surface. Three current North American venues, Ford Field, Red Bull Arena, and Levi's Stadium, have addressed these concerns by placing all luxury boxes on one side of the playing surface, which allows the other sides of the venue to have closer sightlines than most modern venues. State Farm Arena in Atlanta formerly had all of its premium seating on one side of the arena; however, renovations that took place during 2017 removed the upper level luxury boxes and were replaced with a traditional upper deck and premium seating spread throughout the arena. [11]

Prevalence

The stadium with the most luxury boxes is the Estadio Monumental "U" in Lima, Peru: with 1,251. The first stadium to contain a luxury box was the Astrodome in Houston, Texas, built in 1965. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway constructed their first luxury boxes (dubbed the "Turn Two Suites") in 1973 as part of the existing motel complex on the grounds. One unusual set of luxury boxes is located on the campus of Boston College. The school's main indoor arena, Conte Forum (also known as Kelley Rink for hockey games), is directly attached to its football venue, Alumni Stadium. Some of the luxury boxes in the combined complex overlook both the stadium's playing field and the arena floor. The University of South Dakota later borrowed Boston College's concept when it built the Sanford Coyote Sports Center, which opened in 2016 as the new home for the school's basketball and volleyball teams. Several boxes at the Sports Center allow their users to watch games at both the arena and the attached DakotaDome, home to USD football. [12]

Luxury boxes have become a feature of the major professional sports league system in North America. The Palace of Auburn Hills' large number of luxury suites was a pioneer for the building boom of modern-style NBA arenas in the 1990s. The Detroit Pistons played in The Palace from its opening in 1988 through the 2016–17 season, by which time it was one of the NBA's oldest arenas. Nonetheless, The Palace's forward-thinking design contained the amenities that most NBA teams sought in newer arenas. The Pistons moved to the new Little Caesars Arena in midtown Detroit for the 2017–18 season, by which time only one of the five other NBA venues that opened in the 1988–89 season was still in use—the Bradley Center, which was replaced in 2018 by Fiserv Forum and then demolished in early 2019. Three others had already been demolished (Amway Arena, Charlotte Coliseum, and Miami Arena), and the last, Sleep Train Arena, was replaced in 2016. [5] [6] [7] [8]

Top-tier European pro association football teams have moved to new stadiums designed with a large number of luxury boxes, such as Benfica, Bayern Munich, Arsenal, and Juventus. Other clubs such as Real Madrid and Manchester United have extensively renovated their existing stadiums to add large numbers of luxury boxes.

Use in the NFL

Most notable in their use of luxury boxes is the National Football League. Under the NFL's current revenue sharing agreement, teams must forfeit a large portion of their ticket revenues so that the funds can be redistributed among all the teams, particularly those in smaller markets. However, the luxury boxes, quickly becoming a top source of revenue for the franchises, were exempted from this sharing requirement.

Furthermore, the NFL's blackout rule has led stadium operators to sacrifice seating capacity in favor of the luxury boxes, as it makes a sell-out easier with a lower total number of regular seats. Teams have used the threat of relocation to press state and local governments for financial assistance to either build new stadiums or renovate older venues. [10]

Club seating

Club seating, club-level seating, or premium seating is a special section of seating in modern sports stadiums and arenas. These may be known by different terms, such as "Legends Suite seats" at Yankee Stadium or "Platinum Club" at Scotiabank Arena. [13] [14] [15] Club-level seating is open to the elements, as opposed to the entirely enclosed luxury boxes, which gives more of an outdoor impression at roofless and open-roof stadiums and arenas. Club-level seating is typically considered a more exclusive class of seating than elsewhere in the venue, other than the luxury boxes.

Club-level seating can either be sold as individual tickets, or marketed on a contract basis (similar to luxury suites) to allow for maximum profit on the part of the venue. This gives club seats more flexibility for individuals and small companies, while luxury boxes can typically only be leased by large corporations willing to pay around US$500,000 or higher a year. [16] Like luxury suites, club seating generates much higher revenues than regular seating. [2] [3]

While luxury boxes and personal seat licenses have been around since the 1960s, club-level seating is a recent innovation of the 1990s. The mid-stage is the optimal placement for luxury boxes in order to give them good sightlines to make them attractive for lessees, however only a limited number of luxury boxes can be placed there, as adding too many mid-level boxes will reduce seating capacity and degrade the viewing experience for other parts of the venue. For the area/stadium designer, club-level seating can be implemented in the middle tier at lower cost and less space than having all luxury boxes.

Description

Club levels normally provide fans several additional amenities than standard seating. The seats themselves are often wider and more comfortable than regular seats. [17] The club level provides fans with special access to an indoor part of the venue exclusive to fans with special tickets. These areas are air conditioned and allow access to special restaurants, merchandise stands, and lounge areas of the venue that are not otherwise available to standard ticketholders. Concession stands and vendors on the club level also often offer different menus than in other stands to give more of a special feel to the club. These areas are closed off to the rest of the venue, and they usually can only be accessed through the exclusive, private club entrances. Parking and concierge service are often available to club levels. [13] The ratio of toilets to fans is considerably higher in the club level than general seating, avoiding the long washroom lineups that plague regular admission fans. [4]

The club level is usually located towards the middle of the stage of seating sections, above the lower deck but below the upper deck. They are usually situated near the luxury boxes, whether right above, right below, or sandwiched between two levels of luxury boxes. Unlike some luxury box levels, most club levels do not extend very wide or wrap entirely around the venue. Some club levels stop at a certain point, giving way to an expansion of the mezzanine, while others give way to lower-class luxury boxes (such as "party suites"). A notable exception to this is Emirates Stadium in London, which has a complete tier of club seating. Some venues such as the MetLife Stadium have luxury suites that are not completely enclosed and come with exposed seats similar to those at club level. [16]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stadium</span> Place or venue for (mostly) outdoor sports, concerts, or other events

A stadium is a place or venue for (mostly) outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage completely surrounded by a tiered structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Moda Center</span> Sports arena in Portland, Oregon

Moda Center, formerly known as the Rose Garden, is the primary indoor sports arena in Portland, Oregon, United States. It is used for basketball, ice hockey, rodeos, circuses, conventions, ice shows, concerts, and dramatic productions. The arena has a capacity of 19,393 spectators when configured for basketball. It is equipped with state-of-the-art acoustics and other amenities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tropicana Field</span> Baseball stadium in St. Petersburg, Florida, U.S.

Tropicana Field is a multi-purpose domed stadium located in St. Petersburg, Florida, United States. The stadium has been the ballpark of Major League Baseball’s Tampa Bay Rays since the team's inaugural season in 1998. The stadium is also used for college football, and from December 2008 to December 2017 was the home of the St. Petersburg Bowl, an annual postseason bowl game. The venue is the only non-retractable domed stadium in Major League Baseball, making it the only year-round indoor venue in MLB. Tropicana Field is the smallest MLB stadium by seating capacity when obstructed-view rows in the uppermost sections are covered with tarps as they are for most Rays games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Camping World Stadium</span> Stadium in Florida, U.S.

Camping World Stadium is an outdoor stadium in Orlando, Florida, United States located in the West Lakes neighborhood of Downtown Orlando, west of new sports and entertainment facilities including the Kia Center, the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, and Inter&Co Stadium. It opened in 1936 as Orlando Stadium and has also been known as the Tangerine Bowl and Florida Citrus Bowl. The City of Orlando owns and operates the stadium.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Center</span> Indoor arena in Chicago, Illinois, U.S.

The United Center is an indoor arena on the Near West Side of Chicago, Illinois, United States. It is home to the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Chicago Blackhawks of the National Hockey League (NHL). It is named after its corporate sponsor United Airlines, which has been based in Chicago since 2007 and has a major hub at O'Hare International Airport. With a capacity of nearly 21,000, the United Center is the largest arena by capacity in the NBA, and second largest arena by capacity in the NHL. It also has a seating capacity of 23,500 for concerts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium</span> Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee, United States

Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium, originally named Memphis Memorial Stadium, and later Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium, is a football stadium located at the former Mid-South Fairgrounds in the Midtown area of Memphis, Tennessee, United States. The stadium is the site of the annual Liberty Bowl, the annual Southern Heritage Classic, and is the home field of the University of Memphis Tigers football team of the American Athletic Conference. It has also been the host of several attempts at professional sports in the city, as well as other local football games and other gatherings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse</span> Arena in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, US

Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse is a multi-purpose arena in Cleveland, Ohio. The building is the home of the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the Cleveland Monsters of the American Hockey League (AHL). It also serves as a secondary arena for Cleveland State Vikings men's and women's basketball.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Richfield Coliseum</span> Arena in Ohio, United States

Richfield Coliseum, also known as the Coliseum at Richfield, was an indoor arena located in Richfield Township, between Cleveland and Akron, Ohio. It opened in 1974 as a replacement for the Cleveland Arena, and had a seating capacity of 20,273 for basketball. It was the main arena for the Northeast Ohio region until 1994, when it was replaced by Gund Arena in downtown Cleveland. The Coliseum stood vacant for five years before it was purchased and demolished in 1999 by the National Park Service. The site of the building was converted to a meadow and is now part of Cuyahoga Valley National Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frost Bank Center</span> Arena in San Antonio, Texas, United States

Frost Bank Center is a multi-purpose indoor arena on the east side of San Antonio, Texas, United States. It is the home of the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association (NBA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">State Farm Arena</span> Arena located in Atlanta, Georgia

State Farm Arena is a multi-purpose arena located in Atlanta, Georgia. The arena serves as the home venue for the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). It also served as home to the Atlanta Thrashers of the National Hockey League from 1999 to 2011, before the team moved to Winnipeg, as well as the Atlanta Dream of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) from 2008 to 2016 and 2019, and the temporary home of Georgia Tech basketball in 2011. It opened in 1999 as Philips Arena at a cost of $213.5 million, replacing the Omni Coliseum. It is owned by the Atlanta Fulton County Recreation Authority and operated by the Hawks, owned by Tony Ressler along with a group of investors including Grant Hill.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Amway Arena</span> Former indoor arena in Orlando, Florida, United States

Amway Arena was an indoor arena located in Orlando, Florida. It was part of the Orlando Centroplex, a sports and entertainment complex located in Downtown Orlando. The arena was the former home of the Orlando Magic of the NBA and the Orlando Titans of the NLL. It was also the home of the Orlando Solar Bears of the International Hockey League, and the Orlando Predators of the Arena Football League. It also hosted many other minor league sports teams, as well as various concerts and other events such as the PlayStation Pro event on the Dew Action Sports Tour and the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus annually.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wells Fargo Center (Philadelphia)</span> Multi-purpose arena in Pennsylvania, US

The Wells Fargo Center is a multi-purpose indoor arena located in Philadelphia. It serves as the home of the Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League (NHL), the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA), and the Philadelphia Wings of the National Lacrosse League (NLL). The arena lies at the southwest corner of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex, which includes Lincoln Financial Field, Citizens Bank Park, and Xfinity Live!.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alamodome</span> Multi-purpose domed stadium in San Antonio, Texas, United States

The Alamodome is a 64,000-seat domed indoor multi-purpose stadium in San Antonio, Texas. It is located on the southeastern fringe of downtown San Antonio. The facility opened on May 15, 1993, having been constructed at a cost of $186 million.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dean Smith Center</span> Multi-purpose arena in Chapel Hill, North Carolina

The Dean E. Smith Student Activities Center is a multi-purpose arena in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, used primarily as the home for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Tar Heels men's basketball team. The university began to inquire about building a standalone arena for the men's basketball team beginning in the mid-1970s, but due to an ongoing university wide investigation, the fundraiser halted until its conclusion. In June 1980, the fundraising began with a goal of at least $30 million and a target completion date for the building of December 1984. It was initially planned to be called the Student Activities Center; however, after its announcement it began to be referred to as The Dean Dome and it was speculated it would be named for then coach Dean Smith. The fundraising concluded in August 1984 with over $33 million raised, but construction would not be finished until 1986. The day before the opening game on January 18, 1986, against the Duke Blue Devils, the building was officially announced to be named the Dean E. Smith Student Activities Center, while a formal dedication happen later in September. In 2018, the hardwood floor of the Smith Center was named for then coach Roy Williams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ballpark</span> Sports venue type

A ballpark, or baseball park, is a type of sports venue where baseball is played. The playing field is divided into two field sections called the infield and the outfield. The infield is an area whose dimensions are rigidly defined in part based on the placement of bases, and the outfield is where dimensions can vary widely from ballpark to ballpark. A larger ballpark may also be called a baseball stadium because it shares characteristics of other stadiums.

Club-level seating is a special section of seating in modern sports stadiums and arenas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eck Stadium</span> Baseball stadium in Wichita, Kansas, US

Eck Stadium is a baseball stadium in Wichita, Kansas, United States. It is located on the south side of 21st Street between Hillside and Oliver on the campus of Wichita State University in northeast Wichita.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Medlar Field</span> Baseball stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania, US

Medlar Field at Lubrano Park is a 5,570-seat baseball stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania, that hosted its first regular season baseball game on June 20, 2006, when the State College Spikes lost to the Williamsport Crosscutters, 5–3. The Penn State Nittany Lions college baseball team began play at the ballpark in 2007.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">TDECU Stadium</span> Football stadium at the University of Houston

John O'Quinn Field at TDECU Stadium is an American football stadium on the campus of the University of Houston. The stadium serves as the home of the Houston Cougars football team, which represents the University of Houston in collegiate football and previously the Houston Roughnecks of the XFL.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Pit (arena)</span> Basketball arena in Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States

The Pit is an indoor arena in Albuquerque, New Mexico, serving primarily as the home venue of the University of New Mexico Lobos basketball teams. The facility opened in 1966 as University Arena but gained the nickname "The Pit" due to its innovative subterranean design, with its playing floor 37 feet (11 m) below street level. The arena is located on the UNM South Campus and has a seating capacity of 15,411 for basketball and up to 13,480 for concerts, with 40 luxury suites and 365 club seats.

References

  1. "skybox" . Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press.(Subscription or participating institution membership required.)
  2. 1 2 "Last of its kind: Charlotte Coliseum to be demolished Sunday". Archived from the original on 2016-01-11. Retrieved 2016-02-09.
  3. 1 2 "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2016-03-08. Retrieved 2006-12-08.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  4. 1 2 "National Post".
  5. 1 2 Glass, Alana (30 July 2012). "Tom Gores Puts His Stamp On The Detroit Pistons With Arena Renovations". Forbes.
  6. 1 2 "Hotel Reservations & Cheap Discounts at 250K+ Hotels". Archived from the original on 2013-10-17. Retrieved 2016-09-22.
  7. 1 2 "Nothin' But Profit: Winning no longer key to new NBA". Seattle Post-Intelligencer.[ dead link ]
  8. 1 2 "Last of its kind: Charlotte Coliseum to be demolished Sunday". ESPN. June 2007.
  9. Based on a quote by chief executive Keith Edelman in Management Today, quoted in: "Reasons to be cheerful". ANR. 6 August 2004. Retrieved 8 December 2006.
  10. 1 2 Tim Crothers (19 June 1995). "The Shakedown". Sports Illustrated Vault. Time Inc. Archived from the original on November 4, 2012. Retrieved 24 June 2012.
  11. Wilfon, Justin (28 June 2017). "Philips Arena to feature courtside bar, barber shop". WSB-TV. Retrieved 2 April 2018.
  12. Harkness, Jeff (August 6, 2016). "A Look Inside the New Sanford Coyote Sports Center at USD". Sioux Falls, SD: ESPN 99.1 . Retrieved December 22, 2016.
  13. 1 2 Sandomir, Richard (21 March 2008). "Yankees' Top Seats Grow Pricier". The New York Times . Archived from the original on 2015-10-17. Retrieved 2015-11-18.
  14. "Platinum Club Homepage - the Air Canada Centre". Archived from the original on 2016-04-29. Retrieved 2015-11-18.
  15. "Maple Leafs: Tim Leiweke wants to end sight of empty seats when puck drops at Air Canada Centre". Toronto Star . 22 July 2013. Archived from the original on 2016-01-11. Retrieved 2015-11-18.
  16. 1 2 "Most Expensive NFL Seats | Private Suites at Your Favorite Stadiums". Archived from the original on 2016-05-01. Retrieved 2015-11-18.
  17. Sandomir, Richard (9 April 2012). "At 20, Camden Yards Tries to Keep up". The New York Times . Archived from the original on 2014-09-03. Retrieved 2015-11-18.