This is Buying Sideline — the only newsletter that focuses solely on the business of sports hospitality.
In the email today:
🏈 Commanders Get Creative with Unified Bowl Design
You’ve probably seen the Washington Commanders latest stadium renderings. What you might’ve missed was the team going against traditional stadium design. Instead of the more conventional stacked premium seating we see in most stadiums the new stadium will have a unified bowl from the first row to the last complete with a Wall of Fans, an ode to the one in the Intuit Dome.
HKS Architects says it still intends to provide different hospitality products, price points and amenities throughout the building; they just won’t allow traditional premium decks to physically break up the bowl. The first row, which looks like a field-level club in the rendering above, will be elevated for unobstructed sightlines on the sideline.The team is also already using the current stadium suites to funnel customers into the next one through the promise of priority access.
HKS architect Aaron Hollis offered more on the thinking:
"We designed this bowl from the inside out, starting with a single question: what should it feel like when every fan is part of the game? Every decision, from the steepness of the seating to the elimination of overhangs, was driven by that question. The result is a single, unified bowl where nothing separates the fans from the action or from each other."
The Commanders announced in early-September a multi-year partnership with Elevate who will head their premium hospitality sales and be tasked with developing elevated fan spaces.
Owner Josh Harris and minority owner David Blitzer make up Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, which own the Sixers, and have a new stadium opening in Philadelphia in 2030. They share a 50/50 joint venture with Flyers owner, Comcast, on that project.
Clark Construction Group, Mortenson Co., and Smoot Construction Co. will start the DC stadium build next spring.
Our Take: The Commanders are making a bet that they can preserve or even grow premium seating without allowing the design to compromise atmosphere.
That’s a big bet!
The premium offerings tucked inside the stadium are sure to be plentiful and touch every price point of the typical fan visiting on gameday. Expect tunnel clubs, lounges, and add-on memberships for premium access. Elevate, who isn’t afraid to push the boundaries of experiences, finds themselves in a particularly interesting position. Giving them a canvas to paint with should create some cool opportunities.
There will be suites, but the question is where?
A lot of stadium designers around the world will be watching how this plays out.
🏟️ Tennessee’s $288M Entertainment District Gets a Name
The University of Tennessee’s ambitious mixed-used entertainment district featuring a hotel and residential tower adjacent to Neyland Stadium is underway, and it now also has a name — 865 Neyland.
Along with official branding, 865 Neyland — a nod to the East Tennessee’s area code (which also spells VOL on a telephone) — launched digital platforms with updated renderings and a fly-through video that details the full scope of the project’s potential.
Some highlights of the privately-funded $288M planned district include:
100,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor entertainment space
A flagship restaurant “inspired by the traditions of East Tennessee”
A multi-level sports bar
Additional grab-and-go dining concepts across upper and lower plazas
3,000 square feet of LED displays
Two plazas, one with a 50-foot LED display for concerts, parties and special events
100,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor entertainment space along with dining and retail
A 24-story hotel and residential tower featuring 186 hotel rooms, 51 luxury residences, 30 condo/hotel units, a private members club and restaurant
Scheduled for completion in 2028, the project development team includes RVX Ventures, Magellan Development Group and Arctos Sports. Along with Layton Construction, project partners include Gensler (tower) and HCM (entertainment district).
According to the official 865 Neyland website, the district will bring an estimated 450 permanent jobs, 1,300 construction jobs and carry a $5 billion economic impact over the next three decades.
Our Take: We’re getting a look at one of the first mixed-use entertainment districts built directly adjacent to a big-time college football stadium. As major universities continue to look for new ways to drive revenue, a broader ecosystem of hospitality that not only pops on game day but also drives year-round opportunities to monetize feels like an appealing opportunity.
If all goes as planned, UT will create touchpoints for alumni, high-value fans, corporate sponsors, developers and hospitality operators.
And, not to mention, if I were a prospective student kicking around college options, that fly-through video might have me headed to Knoxville.
⚽️ Leeds Won’t Let Reno Get in Way of Hospitality
Leeds United is in the middle of a renovation that’ll see its stadium’s capacity increase from 37,645 fans to 53,000. Premium hospitality is so important to the club that while construction on the West Stand takes place a 20,000 sq. ft. temporary hospitality structure with four individual suites for 1,000 displaced fans has been erected.
The hospitality FAQs site says the temporary structure is climate controlled, has full range of premium F&B, premium bathroom facilities, and the walk time from building to seats is approximately two minutes. Club legends and that game’s Man of the Match will still visit as well.
Design Tonic, a longtime hospitality design partner, was in charge of designing the temporary hospitality.
🦬 Highmark Stadium Taps Into Hyperlocal Food Offerings
In Buffalo, wings just mean more.
That’s why Highmark Stadium, which played host to a 41-31 Bills’ win over the Lions Thursday night in its first regular season game, has put in significant work to master the cuisine of Western New York.
Ahead of the stadium’s opening, Legends Global chef Nicholas Karoly spent weeks studying Buffalo’s best wings, going deep on sauces, peppers, butter and vinegars.
“Our goal is to bring restaurant thought and execution to an environment that must also serve thousands of guests quickly,” he told the website TotalFoodService.
Beyond wings, Highmark Stadium also offers up pizza dishes and The Royal Sub, and The Singer, the latter a combo of chicken fingers and cheesesteak.
Emphasis on food and beverage even extends beyond the gates, too, as barbecue stands and smokers that mimic the smells of parking lot tailgates greet approaching fans.
Our Take: This newsletter often focuses on trends around the premium space, but this story highlights a rather simple reality: hospitality providers need to have the pulse of the people, particularly in markets built upon authenticity, like Buffalo.
Chef-curated dishes and other elevated F&B options will continue to matter, but hospitality providers must also deliver authentic versions of a region’s most popular dishes.
As someone from the greater Philadelphia area who has spent decades immersed in the City of Brotherly Love’s sports scene, I can assure you inauthentic attempts at mastering the cheesesteak are met with immense ridicule. Though I often roll my eyes when FOX or CBS NFL broadcasts cut to commercial with B-roll from a local cheesesteak spot (a played out production tactic running on nearly 30 years now), the sandwich does matter around here. So, if it’s going to be offered, it better be good.
Point being, hospitality providers tapping into local flavor is a key element of venue design, economics, and the overall fan experience.
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See you on the field.