Review: An insider's guide to modern stadium amenities - the 2024 Naming Rights Stadium Thread

Why do you think the DC United Corporate Cup is about to happen?

 

Cash grab, $80-100K and marketing of suites.

 

I was wondering if the winner of the Corporate Cup eventually squares off against the Capitol Cup champion?

 

DC Super Cup

 

Cups chafe.

 

It now appears to be events DC Club stadium.

 

Or maybe Blue Halo Stadium.

 

Is Blue Halo an upgrade to Halo 3?

 

I believe I read that after Eagle Bank's contract ran out they didn't re-up, and DCU/the city (Events DC) haven't found a new sponsor. So they just went with their own name for the rest of this year. Sort of a "your ad here" billboard, if you will.

By the way, at some point* the banners for secondary sponsors on the four light standards started being switched out for illuminated signs. Three of the four had been done last Saturday, so you can easily see those sponsors names (i.e. Inova, Frutist) at night.
Not yet for Audi itself; the sign above the south stand is still a banner stretched over the frame up there.

* perhaps this is old news, but I first noticed it Saturday

 

Not worthy of a new thread so posting here 'cause it is stadium related:

Just came back from visiting my in-laws in Toluca, Mexico. Attended the Toluca v Mazatlan game at Estadio Nemisio Diez (nicknamed la Bombanera). The stadium is very similar to ours: an urban neighborhood, small (31k) and with seats English-style right up close to the pitch. In a fun coincidence, my brother-in-law's seats are at almost the exact same location as mine in 126 at DC Events Club Field, formerly known as Eaglebank Arena East.

A bit unlike DCEC Field: one enters the stadium into what is essentially a "moat" surrounding around the field and about 6 feet below pitch-level. From there, you follow the moat around until getting to your section. Interestingly, FIFA requirements are for stadiums to be oriented North-South and la Bombenera is the only stadium in Mexico oriented East-West.

While the seats are right up close to the pitch, the walls of the moat on the touchlines have wire "guardrails" to help prevent pitch invasion. But where invasion-repression needs are more desperately needed (behind the goals for the cheap seats and the SGs / barra brava stands), there are 8-foot tall steel fences. The SG sections do not have seats and unlike our place, do not have railings to hold on to between rows. These sections span from corner-to-corner behind each goal.

Season ticket seats have the account holder's name on them. Thats neat touch. Won't work well at DCEC Field considering the number of teams that use it as their home field.... too bad.

Anyway, now to the real reason for writing this: in the wake of the violence at March 2022 Queretaro game, Liga MX requires every adult to go through biometric (well, really just facial recognition) identity verification before entering the stadium. This is done by registering with Incode's "FanID" which includes submitting a photograph and government issued ID, then present this FanID and have their photo taken upon entry at the stadium. Basically compares the face presented at the stadium gates to the face registered in the system. Takes seconds.

[Incode is an identity verification industry company that competes with companies such as Clearme which provides the "Clear" lanes at many US airports and lots of other places, including 15 major sports stadia/arenas.]

So, I just wonder how long before MLS begins using this tech. I hope they do not. But it will happen. The basic premise is that venues can keep their facilities "safer" by knowing who is in the building and rejecting anyone that is not acceptable.

But the real reason is money. Clear and Incode are able to track who goes where, when, why and enables them to know how much the person spends (remember, we are now a cashless business). This data is scooped up at events and facilities everywhere. It gets matched up with other data collected by big data companies. Here is how it gets used:
Sportradar Launches FanID Connecting Rightsholders and Brands with Sports Fans in a Post-Cookie World | Sportradar

Right now FanID and Clear are used to provide expedited entry to facilities as a perk under the cover of "safety" and "security". But how long before it is no longer a perk but required for all...? Kinda like how for a short while TSA offered Pre-check at no charge.

It will be curious to see if MLS breaks the dam and goes public with this first before NFL or the other sports entertainment businesses....

I am not in favor.

 

Security theater is the worst kind of theater and I am including Cats...

 

I want to say that 2014 was the last time we had our names on our season tix. Maybe 2013, I will have to find my box of stubs that I've been saving for a project I am unlikely to ever do.

 

Thats funny, I also have kept all my stubs for a collage I plan to make that I, too, am sure will never happen.

 

I will get around to it at some point, I've got some really great stubs. 2 Super Bowls, Rose/Orange/Citrus bowls and the Maradona of the desert goal game that was at RFK.

 

I actually did 2 of those. One of them was a framed cover of the program for the last match at RFK and one of the tickets to that match. The other is the Jaime Moreno farewell game poster from 2010 that I had framed.

 

maybe share a photo or two?

 

I may have misunderstood, but I thought @Section 107 was saying the physical seats had the STM's name on them.

 

Nice report...and forewarning of some data-harvesting security tech perhaps on the way.

 

Leagues Cup game at DC moved to Philly.

So embarrassing.

DC United has been forced to relocate its Leagues Cup match against Santos Laguna to Subaru Park outside Philly because of issues with Audi Field’s pitch.

This is the same pitch the USWNT played on just last week. Embarrassing stuff, frankly. pic.twitter.com/Mx5aUqrNis

— Pablo Iglesias Maurer (@MLSist) July 26, 2024

 

Love this!!!!

 

OK

 

and with these owners, it won't the last time either

 

My guess was right.

I'm pretty sure they shifted the field slightly after not being able to anchor the goal properly a month ago.

 

If you can't do it shittily why do it at all?