Top 15 AMAZING Sports Stadiums
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00:00Hey everyone, we're taking a look at the top 15 most high-tech stadiums in the world.
00:05These are hubs of technology that enhance the fan experience.
00:09Let's start with number 15, the Amy Park.
00:12When it comes to design, few stadiums are quite like Amy Park.
00:16It's located in the Australian city of Melbourne, it's got a strange geodesic dome roof.
00:21This not only allows for fewer support structures than needed with a typical rectangle-shaped
00:26stadium, but also helps provide shade to spectators without blocking out light.
00:31And perhaps coolest of all, the exterior of the stadium is covered in thousands of LED
00:35lights, all of which can be programmed to display a variety of patterns and images to
00:39the people of Melbourne after dark.
00:43Number 14, Fortress Melbourne.
00:45Alright, we're staying down under.
00:47In 2020, Populous completed what is now the largest eSports venue in the Southern Hemisphere.
00:53Located in Melbourne, Australia, Fortress Melbourne is a 1,000-person venue featuring
00:57160 gaming PCs, console gaming suites, a restaurant, two bars, a merchandise shop, and even a 200-seat
01:05eSports arena spread across 2,700 square meters of space.
01:09Thanks to the venue's 6-versus-6 player podium and 3-by-9-meter indoor screen, it's easy
01:14to follow along with the competitors, creating an immersive experience.
01:17So if you happen to be in Melbourne and love gaming, I'd suggest checking this one out.
01:23Number 13, BC Place.
01:25While BC Place was built back in 1983, $560 million of renovations undertaken in prep
01:31for the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics made it a top-tier facility for football and soccer
01:37matches.
01:38These renovations were pretty expansive, including the addition of a retractable roof that can
01:42be opened or closed in the space of 20 minutes, a huge center-hung video board with two HD
01:47screens that are the equivalent to 450 42-inch flat-screen TVs, and it's got 8,000 Wi-Fi
01:54points and a grand total of 1,150 digital screens.
01:58All this, alongside improvements to acoustics, seat space, the entranceway, and the turf,
02:03make BC Place a truly incredible building.
02:07Number 12, Manchester City's Metaverse Stadium.
02:11While the Metaverse was kind of discredited as useless months ago, this hasn't stopped
02:15Manchester City from becoming the first team to set up a stadium there.
02:19Built via a three-year agreement with Sony, this proof-of-concept stadium lets fans participate
02:24in activities at a virtual version of the team's Etihad Stadium.
02:28Using their own custom avatars, they can run, dance, and celebrate around the stadium, and
02:33given the large amount of money put into it, the whole thing seems kind of pointless, especially
02:38since watching from a bar is way more engaging than inside the Metaverse.
02:42Well, I guess only time will tell whether or not the Manchester City's tech-based Metaverse
02:46experiment is going to pay off.
02:50Number 11, ES Confield, Hokkaido.
02:54On the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido, baseball is the most popular sport, and most
02:59people there cheer for the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters.
03:02However, Hokkaido is pretty cold, so their new 35,000-person stadium has some interesting
03:07tech behind it.
03:09More specifically, it's got a massive transparent wall on one side, allowing the stadium to
03:13be fully shut in the winter while still being able to support natural grass.
03:17Additionally, the 166-meter-wide movable roof is one of the largest in the world, and it's
03:22specifically designed to withstand the weight of snow and the extreme temperature differences
03:26there.
03:27So, be it rain, snow, shine, ES Confield in Hokkaido can operate without a hitch.
03:33Number 10, the Intuit Dome.
03:36Los Angeles is a city that's known for its glitz and glam, and the Los Angeles Clippers
03:40Intuit Dome is certainly one of the jewels on top of the city's crown.
03:44While Crypto.com was the Clippers' main arena for years, the new Intuit Arena is almost
03:49completed and it's scheduled to open in August of 2024.
03:53In terms of design, the dome is pretty impressive.
03:55It's built in a bowl shape, and the goal is for all the spectators to be as close to the
03:59court as possible.
04:00In fact, a seat in row 20 will be about 14 meters closer than the current Clippers' arena.
04:06For reference, that's equal to almost half of a basketball court, meaning that this change
04:10should make a meaningful difference.
04:12The court is also home to something known as The Wall, consisting of 51 uninterrupted
04:16rows of seats that fit close to 5,000 fans.
04:20The idea is that this will help enhance the Clippers' home-court advantage by intimidating
04:25opposing teams.
04:26Yet, maybe the coolest feature is the massive scoreboard here.
04:29Set to be almost a full acre in size, it's absolutely massive.
04:33That's to say, it's going to be equivalent to about 3,600 60-inch televisions and have
04:37more than 230 million LEDs.
04:40It's going to make it five times larger than the scoreboard at any other NBA arena, and
04:45the seats are set to have the most legroom and headroom in the league as well.
04:48Best of all, the stadium is going to be located in a massive 80,000-square-foot outdoor plaza.
04:53To call it grand is a bit of an understatement.
04:56Ordered by Roman Style Steps, it's going to include two bars, a restaurant, and a 5,000-square-foot
05:01team store.
05:02Now, that's not to say that everything is perfect.
05:05After all, it's costing $2 billion to build the stadium, and with a capacity of 18,000
05:09people, it definitely won't be the largest stadium around.
05:12However, given the incredible fan experience and the high-tech stuff, I'd say the upsides
05:17outweigh the downsides here.
05:199.
05:20The Qadiyah City Esports Arena In the past few years, Saudi Arabia has invested
05:25billions of dollars into making the country a glamorous tourist destination.
05:30Part of this effort has included, of all things, the introduction of the esports facilities.
05:34Via both the National Gaming and Esports Strategy and Saudi Vision 2030, the country aims to
05:40make Saudi Arabia a global hub for gaming and esports, and to track up to 10 million
05:44visitors by 2030.
05:46Given the fact that about 29% of Saudi Arabia's citizens are interested in esports, expanding
05:51e-gaming could prove to be a great way to make money from both citizens and tourists,
05:56and to date, the Qadiyah City Esports Arena is at the heart of this effort.
06:00In essence, this city will be a massive entertainment complex, and the esports arena will be one
06:05of many attractions to visit.
06:07The plan is for it to be able to seat about 5,200 people, and its slate of 4D haptic seats,
06:12massive screens, and the most advanced AV systems available will ensure that visitors
06:16enjoy a fully immersive and ever-changing experience.
06:20Beyond the seating area itself, the arena also offers a slate of fun features.
06:24After all, it includes a centralized arcade with breakout zones for gaming, a food souk
06:28retail space, and an immersive entertainment zone.
06:31This design ambition extends to the food and beverage offerings too, providing some variety
06:35and choice via some techy options, such as a self-checkout market and gaming bar.
06:40All in, the combined space will cover a whopping 500,000 square meters, making this stadium
06:45a mega-project of epic proportions.
06:48Now exactly when this esports arena will open is still pretty unclear, however, what's certainly
06:52true is that it will host events that are there as part of the Esports World Cup, and
06:57will undoubtedly be an international hub for esports.
07:008.
07:01SoFi Stadium So according to many pundits, SoFi Stadium
07:06in Los Angeles may just be the most technologically advanced stadium in the NFL.
07:11First and foremost, its roof is far different than what you'd expect at most stadiums.
07:15Often called the TV Roof by passengers flying into LAX, in essence, it's an independently
07:21supported translucent canopy.
07:23While this allows people in airplanes to watch the games from above, what it's meant to do
07:27is make the indoor stadium feel like it's located outdoors.
07:30Yet, if game organizers are going for more of an indoor feel, they can make use of the
07:34canopy's 28,000 LED pucks to project images and videos that are visible overhead.
07:39The stadium is also home to a wraparound mega-screen, better known as the Infinity Screen.
07:44It's the first of its kind, 360-degree, dual-sided, 4K HDR video board that allows spectators
07:50to enjoy the game even if they're located in the nosebleeds.
07:54This 1,000-ton, 70,000-square-foot masterpiece of a contemporary technology has a grand total
08:00of 80 million pixels in its display, 268 speakers, and 56 5G antennas.
08:06This stadium stands apart for being the first major venue in the U.S. to implement digital
08:10twin technology.
08:12The U.S. uses data gathered from every aspect of the venue and its surrounding Hollywood
08:16Park mega-development to create a virtual copy of the stadium.
08:20These copies provide info to a database that can then be analyzed so that future games
08:24can be optimized for a better spectator experience.
08:27And as a final note, SoFi is part of a growing number of sports venues that are cashless,
08:32ensuring that less foul play results in regard to currency exchange.
08:36It is thanks to all of this that SoFi is not only a great stadium for the LA Rams today,
08:40but will also be an incredible venue during the 2028 Summer Olympics.
08:45Moving on to number 7.
08:47Esports Stadium in Arlington In recent years, esports have become increasingly
08:51popular, and the Esports Stadium in Arlington, Texas is an example of how exciting they can
08:56be.
08:57Opened in 2018, its cost of $10 million was extremely cheap for a stadium, and by many
09:02accounts, it offers great bang for its buck.
09:04Now, it's got a 26-meter-long LED board and an impressive surround sound system.
09:10This board broadcasts what's on stage, and that stage is pretty impressive because it
09:14can have a lot of gamers on it.
09:16More specifically, it can have up to 100 game stations firing away at any one time, allowing
09:20for everything from 1v1s to massive battle royales.
09:24In order to record everything, the arena makes use of eight Grass Valley LDX 4K-capable cameras,
09:29plenty of high-tech lenses, and most importantly, a control room.
09:33This allows for it to operate at a minimum as a 1080p facility, but just in case, there's
09:37also a 4K Ready solution and a fiber-optic cable throughout the venue.
09:41This ensures that upgrades can be made over time without really costing a fortune, allowing
09:45the stadium to continue to operate for years without becoming obsolete.
09:49The stadium also relies on a massive equipment room that houses about 19 racks of gear and
09:53more than 61,000 meters of fiber and copper cabling.
09:57It's thanks to all this tech that the stadium can entertain up to 2,500 people without there
10:01being a hitch.
10:02As you might imagine, a stadium as techie as this one has not gone unnoticed by other
10:06sports leagues, and now it's started to branch into non-gaming events.
10:10For example, in May of 2024, it hosted an All Elite Wrestling event.
10:14The plan is for these events to continue throughout the summer, so I think it's fair to say the
10:18city of Arlington has gained a lot from its new and rather unique high-tech stadium.
10:236.
10:24The National Stadium While Taiwan may not be known for its sporting
10:29prowess, its National Stadium was a pioneer in the world of sports.
10:34That's because it was the first and, to date, one of the largest solar-powered stadiums
10:37on the planet.
10:39Built in order to be the main venue for the 2009 World Games, it's the country's largest
10:43stadium and was designed by the acclaimed Japanese architect Toyo Ito.
10:47With a capacity of 55,000, it's absolutely massive and cost about $150 million to build,
10:53and today is often used to host soccer matches, although it sees other uses that go outside
10:57what's traditional.
10:59Yet soccer aside, it also has an incredible design.
11:02Visually, the stadium looks like a curled dragon or a snake resting on the landscape.
11:07With a large gap between its head and tail, it serves as the entrance to the arena.
11:11This dragon, of sorts, is covered in what look like scales, yet the reality is that
11:15they aren't just for show, these are actually large solar panels.
11:18In fact, all told, the stadium is covered with about 8,844 of them, making it the first
11:23stadium in the world that runs completely on its own energy.
11:27It's also the largest photovoltaic system in Taiwan, as it's capable of supplying over
11:311.14 gigawatt hours of electricity annually.
11:35The stadium was also made in a sustainable way.
11:37It was built using 100% recyclable raw materials.
11:41It's relatively eco-friendly, while calculations made with the summer wind direction in mind
11:45to ensure that air circulates freely to maximize natural cooling.
11:49The temperature control measures continue on the roof as the design protects spectators
11:53from the sun while also collecting rainwater for use in the stadium.
11:57To top this off, the stadium is surrounded by nearly seven acres of public green spaces,
12:01including a park with tropical plants, bicycle paths, sports parks, and an ecological pond.
12:07So if you happen to be in Taiwan on the day of a soccer game, I suggest going to get tickets
12:11that you can enjoy the match inside while also enjoying this beautiful stadium.
12:155.
12:16The Coliseum
12:17Okay, so the Coliseum may be an old one, yet it's pretty impressive.
12:23It deserves a spot on this list due to it being way ahead of its time, and in some ways,
12:27more high-tech than stadiums that we have today.
12:30Built between the years 70 and 80 AD by the Roman Emperor Vespasian, it was meant to be
12:34a gift to the Roman people so they could watch gladiator fights and other entertainment.
12:39The idea was that this type of entertainment would keep the people on side after years
12:42of turmoil, showcasing a new period of imperial prosperity and stability.
12:47It was built right in the heart of Rome, both for symbolic and practical reasons.
12:51On the practical side, being right at the center of the city made it easily accessible.
12:55However, it was also a symbol of the empire's power and a symbol of Jewish conquest.
13:00After all, it was largely financed by the spoils taken from the Jewish Temple after
13:03the First Jewish-Roman War of 70 AD, and once completed, it could reportedly seat between
13:0950,000 to 80,000 people, giving Roman citizens a tangible way to enjoy the pillaging of a
13:14far-off land.
13:15The entertainment here was a bit different than what we'd expect today.
13:20Shocking fights would happen between gladiators and often-time exotic animals such as rhinos,
13:24crocodiles, bears, bulls, and elephants would be in there.
13:28While their work was dangerous, these gladiators were well-compensated.
13:31The sports stars of the ancient world saw them amass massive fortunes.
13:36One gladiator named Diocles is believed to have made the modern equivalent of about $13
13:41billion by the time he retired.
13:43Yet beyond the gladiator fights, the Colosseum would also host a number of other events.
13:47This is where its high-tech features were most pronounced.
13:50For example, it could be flooded on purpose so that naval battles could be recreated.
13:55In fact, it's believed to have been used for a wide, floodable channel down its central
13:58axis in order to make it possible.
14:01It was also used for non-combative purposes such as theater, and the Colosseum was ideal
14:05for this because its shape as an amphitheater created top-of-the-line acoustics.
14:09More specifically, the curved shape of the building, the marble material, and staggered
14:13steps helped sound move more easily through.
14:16In all types of events, there was also a two-story complex of hallways where everyone from gladiators
14:20to actors would wait until being called, allowing for better organization and dramatic effect.
14:27In many ways, modern stadiums have tried to copy features of the Colosseum in order to
14:31make their stadiums work better.
14:33So yeah, the Colosseum was not only relevant in the ancient world, but it also continues
14:37to be technologically relevant today.
14:404.
14:41THE TOTTENHAM HOTSPURS STADIUM As one of England's largest football clubs,
14:46it makes sense that Tottenham Hotspurs has a massive stadium.
14:50However, it also stands apart from being one of the most technologically advanced.
14:54Completed in 2019 at a cost of about a billion pounds, it's grand in every way possible.
15:00First and foremost, its seating capacity of nearly 63,000 makes it the third-largest football
15:05stadium in England, and the largest in London.
15:08Yet beyond the size, it also has a neat multi-use feature.
15:10You see, unlike most English football pitches, the stadium is not only home to the Tottenham
15:14Hotspurs, but also hosts the American version of football, that is to say, it's the official
15:19home of the NFL in England.
15:21Every year, NFL games are played at the stadium, and in the last few, it's become normal for
15:25a few regular season matches to happen there.
15:28While this may be a great way to bring in revenue, it brought about a massive technological
15:32challenge.
15:33You see, it's the norm for the Premier League pitches to be made of grass, and as you might
15:36imagine, playing American football in grass can lead to a lot of it being torn up.
15:42That means that American football usually has to be played on turf, meaning that Tottenham
15:45Hotspurs had to find a way to make the stadium have both.
15:49Against all odds, they managed to do it using an extremely high-tech system.
15:53That's because with the help of company SCX, they managed to create the world's first retractable
15:57dividing pitch.
15:59In essence, most of the time, it has natural grass.
16:02However, when the football games are on, it can be rolled back to reveal an artificial
16:06surface below.
16:07Now, technically, this feature isn't new.
16:09After all, in Germany, Russia, Arizona, and Las Vegas, they all have retractable fields
16:14at their stadiums.
16:15However, what makes the Hotspurs pitch different is the fact that it's dividable.
16:20You see, with all those other examples, one pitch lives outside while the other is inside.
16:24However, to keep the Hotspurs arena located in this very urban area, it's simply impossible
16:28to keep a whole soccer field standing outside.
16:32As a result, the designers had to get clever in order to keep the grass field intact when
16:36it wasn't being used.
16:37It's kept underground in an area that was originally supposed to be for car parking.
16:42Since there are multiple supporting columns underground, the only way to actually fit
16:45the pitch in the parking garage was by splitting it into three pieces.
16:48However, by going through this process, the grass can be kept underground and in good
16:52condition for up to three weeks at a time, allowing the NFL to use the stadium without
16:57there being any major issue.
16:593.
17:00The Forest Green Stadium If you haven't heard of Forest Green, I wouldn't
17:04blame you.
17:05After being relegated from the fourth tier of English football this season, they'll now
17:09be playing their trade in the fifth tier, which is a level so low that not all the teams
17:13are even professional clubs.
17:15This makes them more or less of an unknown entity to those living outside of England.
17:20Yet, despite this rather bleak designation on a team that just a few years ago was in
17:24the third tier, Forest Green has certainly one thing going for them, it's the stadium.
17:29After all, while it's normally top-tier clubs that have the most innovative stadiums, Forest
17:33Green Rovers is a notable exception.
17:35All the way back in 2016, they announced plans to make a 5,000-seat eco-friendly stadium.
17:40This was spearheaded by team owner and green energy magnate Dale Vence.
17:44The idea was to create a two-field stadium that's completely made out of timber wood.
17:49The idea is that soccer fields within the stadium would be organic, free of pesticides,
17:53free of fertilizer, and free of chemicals, and the hope was that the grass will even
17:56be tended to by an electric lawnmower powered by solar energy.
18:01Outside the stadium itself, though, the so-called eco-park will have electric vehicle and bike
18:05charging stations throughout, while around 500 trees and 1.8 kilometers of hedgerows
18:10will be planted at the site to promote biodiversity.
18:13There's even plans for a new wetland and canal, and once all is said and done, the site aims
18:17to generate over 80% of the energy that it uses.
18:20Now, it should be noted that there's been some backlash.
18:23After all, many stakeholders are worried that the construction would cause a lot of noise
18:27and disruption.
18:28In fact, in June of 2019, the district council rejected the original plans for the stadium
18:32amid concerns about noise, traffic, and the impact on the landscape.
18:36However, after a modified application was submitted, it was approved in December of
18:402019.
18:41And, as an interesting side note, there's many in English football that have a dislike
18:45of Forest Green.
18:46After all, not only have they had a relatively large budget for years thanks to David Vence's
18:50bankroll, but they've also done some things that fans have found irksome, namely the world's
18:55first ever vegan football match in 2014.
18:58Yet, for those of you who like a team with a real eco-friendly progressive bend, Forest
19:02Green is certainly an interesting team, with an interesting stadium.
19:062.
19:07The Oakland A's New Stadium Oakland, California is a relatively small
19:12city, so it should come as little surprise that they have a pretty small market.
19:16And while the popular movie Moneyball definitely put them on the map, their owners have recently
19:20envisioned a better spot to relocate the team, and that spot is in Las Vegas.
19:25The only small hiccup is that Las Vegas doesn't have a major baseball stadium.
19:29However, by the 2028 season, this is going to change with the introduction of the new
19:33Las Vegas Stadium.
19:35In March of this year, the Oakland Athletics and their design teams released renderings
19:39of the club's planned $1.5 billion stadium.
19:42Set to have over 33,000 seats, the domed ballpark has five overlapping layers that give it a
19:47similar look to the famous Sydney Opera House.
19:50In order to build it all, the stadium is going to make use of land that's owned by Bally's.
19:54More specifically, the plan is for them to demolish the company's Tropicana Resort so
19:58both the stadium and a new hotel can be built.
20:01In order to come up with the money, the owners will have to front most of it.
20:03However, part of the package for relocating includes $380 million in taxpayer money that's
20:08been approved by the Nevada legislature.
20:10Well, beyond the stadium itself, the premises is going to have about 2,500 parking spots,
20:15with more available at the T-Mobile Stadium, which is just down the street.
20:19While this high-tech flashy stadium may be cool, it comes with its own slate of problems.
20:23First and foremost, it's going to be the second smallest stadium in the MLB.
20:27If attendance numbers are high, this could lead to the stadium having less room than
20:31it needs, leading to a loss in potential revenue.
20:34You see, while Major League Baseball owners unanimously approve the move, there are questions
20:39as to where Oakland will play for the next few years.
20:42While the A's will stay in Oakland throughout this season, they originally intended to move
20:45out after this year.
20:46However, with the 2028 move date being so far away, and with it only being possible
20:51if everything is done on time, the team met with city officials to discuss the possibility
20:55of extending their agreement.
20:57Thankfully, in April of this year, Sacramento agreed to host the team from 2025 to 2027,
21:02ending the relocation saga and allowing the city of Oakland to regroup with their 56-year-old
21:08MLB team.
21:101.
21:11LUSALE STADIUM In the lead-up to the 2022 World Cup, Qatar
21:15was tasked with building a whole slate of new soccer stadiums in order to host the competition.
21:21Given the country's lack of soccer culture, this proved to be a gargantuan task, and
21:25perhaps the most pivotal of their projects was the Lusale Stadium.
21:29With a capacity that comes in just shy of 90,000 people, it's the largest stadium in
21:33both Qatar and the Middle East, and it was made in a way that was meant to be absolutely
21:37elegant, designed with the primary aim of creating an immersive atmosphere.
21:41The pitch and its relationship with the seating bowl was the starting point of the stadium's
21:45design.
21:46The 107-meter-diameter spoke-wheel cable-net roof works wonders here.
21:51After all, not only is it the world's largest tensile cable-net roof, but it's also very
21:55high-tech.
21:56You see, this outer compression ring is connected to a central tension ring by a complex cabling
22:01system.
22:02This is rather ingenious because it creates a wide, expansive roof without the need for
22:06supporting columns.
22:07The high-tech facade and innovative roof also help to regulate some energy consumption,
22:12with the building even managing to achieve a five-star rating under the Global Sustainability
22:16Assessment System.
22:18As put by architect Chris Lee, if you think the stadium roof is a little bit like an airplane
22:22wing, you can direct the prevailing wind quite a lot by how you orientate the stadium and
22:27how you tip or dip the leading edge of the roof.
22:30So if you think of how an airplane wing tips up, the air rushes and effectively jumps on
22:33a different trajectory, that's more or less how it's done.
22:37The whole principle works in a very simple manner, thermodynamic way.
22:40Cool air is heavier and sinks to the bottom, and hot air rises, as we all know.
22:45So you put the cool air in, it sits on a lower level, then you design the roof and
22:49the orientation so the hot air doesn't ingress into the opening and down onto the pitch.
22:54Well, the end result is a stunning stadium that uses a lot of on-the-field technology.
22:59For the first time ever, the 2022 World Cup marked the use of the Al-Rila, the Arabic
23:03for journey.
23:05This is a soccer ball that features the latest Adidas suspension system.
23:09This was vital because it contains motion sensors that relay the ball's position on
23:13the pitch at a rate of 500 times a second.
23:15The stadium, like others in Qatar, have 12 dedicated cameras to monitor the position
23:20of the ball and 29 points on players' bodies to monitor movement.
23:24They can make decisions in real time and tell human refs on the pitch what calls they should
23:28make.
23:29The idea behind this is ensures offside calls and the goal decisions are as accurate as
23:33possible.
23:34Now, while there are some to object to the use of this kind of technology and who instead
23:38prefer the human touch of human refs, the problem with this stadium go far deeper than
23:43its invasive use of technology.
23:45That's because in order to build it, a series of abhorrent human rights abuses were made.
23:50More specifically, in order to create this stadium and its counterparts, Qatar had to
23:54bring in millions of migrant workers.
23:57Oftentimes the passports of these workers would be taken upon arrival and for years
24:01they would be forced to live and work in horrible and often very dangerous conditions.
24:05Shockingly, it was the norm for recruitment fees to eat up almost all of the profits made
24:10by the workers and oftentimes they would live in conditions where more than 10 workers would
24:14share one room and where their wages would be routinely stolen from them.
24:19It's because of this that many human rights activists and concerned citizens refuse to
24:23attend matches and stadiums in Qatar and it's also for that reason that the legacy of this
24:27stadium is marred by the horrors that went into building it.
24:31Well, thanks for watching everybody, I'll see you next time.
24:35Thank you to our channel members.