In this week’s column, California Sports Lawyer® CEO and Managing Attorney Jeremy M. Evans analyzes how the growing stadium technology arms race is transforming sports business, fan engagement, media strategy, and venue development across professional and collegiate athletics.
Venues are assets as much as budgets for NIL have become.
You can read the full column below. (Past columns can be found, here).
~
Sports venues were once places where athletes just competed. Benches were wooden or basic metal and scoreboard updates were either changed by hand (e.g., still the case at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts) or in some analog format. Coaching was done by the ancient practice of yelling across the field or through hand signals and signs.
In today’s environment, sports venues are much more than places for athletes to compete. Venues are central to the success of sports franchises. Sports venues are now the lifeblood for maintaining and increasing revenue, advertising exposure, and entertainment events.
For example, the University of Illinois’ $20 million Daktronics video board and display project highlights the size of changes being made not only in the Big Ten conference, but in general in sports. Historic venues like the Rose Bowl are also investing in modernization projects to remain competitive while preserving tradition. FIFA is also working through venue upgrades for the 2026 World Cup across the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
The Clippers Intuit Dome is one of the most technologically advanced sports venues in the United States. A patron can enter the stadium through advanced facial recognition and without ever needing to use a physical or digital wallet.
Sports venues are also quickly becoming media platforms by proxy. The Sphere in Las Vegas is like many venues that have become social media magnets. The Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, has a halo board creating continuous advertising and content opportunities to keep fans engaged. Social media content created by patrons fuels excitement for both the sporting event and the venue itself. Sports social media reflects the same phenomenon that occurs when friends recommend a great movie or television show to others. Interest spreads quickly and becomes viral.
Commercialization and revenue generation through naming rights and advertising are goals of the upgrades, but possibly more importantly is that patron expectations and interests have changed. Venue internet/Wi-Fi connectivity, safety, and ease of ingress and egress are essential. In the past, the internet did not exist and neither did social media. Public concern surrounding venue safety increased significantly following the Oklahoma City bombing and the September 11 attacks, but technology is a major focus of venues and will continue to be in the future.
Sports betting integration and engagement has also become an important part of venue upgrades and future venues where betting is permitted by state law or increasingly through federally regulated prediction markets like Kalshi and Polymarket. For example, Wrigley Field has a sportsbook integration with DraftKings. The Capital One Arena and Caesars Sportsbook partnership (an NHL and NBA venue) in Washington, D.C., built in 2021, was the first of its kind to house betting within an American sports venue. Technology and safety are again important, as are interactive mobile and second-screen experiences in venues that help deliver real-time statistics, gaming, fan personalization, and increased engagement.
Lastly, there is increasing competition among sports franchises, leagues, universities, and conferences. Each university, franchise, or venue must remain relevant and much of that is done through meeting fans with their present and growing expectations. Venues are assets in much the same way that NIL budgets have become. Of course, historic venues also need upkeep, as is the case with Fenway, Wrigley, and Lambeau Field.
With these changes to venues, there will be increased concern with safety and privacy. There may also be a time when private funding is not available for upgrades and public funds through bonds and tax dollars are requested from officials and owners. The stadium technology arms race is unlikely to slow as franchises, universities, and leagues continue competing for fan attention, revenue, and relevance.
~
About Jeremy M. Evans:
Jeremy M. Evans is the Chief Entrepreneur Officer, Founder & Managing Attorney at California Sports Lawyer®, representing entertainment, media, and sports clients in contractual, intellectual property, and dealmaking matters. An award-winning attorney and industry leader, Evans is based in Los Angeles and Newport Beach, California. He can be reached at Jeremy@CSLlegal.com. www.CSLlegal.com.
Copyright © 2026. California Sports Lawyer®. All Rights Reserved.
