Luxury box facts for kids
Imagine watching your favorite sports team or a concert from a super comfy, private spot! That's what a luxury box (sometimes called a skybox) or club seating offers. These are the most expensive seats in big stadiums and arenas. They bring in a lot more money than regular tickets. People with club tickets often get special access to indoor areas. These areas have private entrances, cool restaurants, snack bars, and comfy lounges. Regular ticket holders don't get to use these special spots.
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What Are Luxury Boxes?
Luxury boxes are like private rooms high up in a stadium or arena. They are usually found in the middle section or main stands. At some smaller tennis venues, they might be closer to the court.
Some luxury boxes have glass panels that can open up. This lets you feel like you're right in the middle of the action! It's like having a balcony for your private viewing party.
Inside a Luxury Box: Cool Features
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A luxury box usually has a small bar, TVs, comfy seats, and even a private bathroom. Food and drinks are often brought right to you. Guests might enjoy fancy snacks like shrimp or sushi. People who rent these boxes often get special parking spots too. They also use separate entrances, away from the big crowds.
Why Are Luxury Boxes Important?
Most luxury boxes are rented out for a whole year. Some are even bought, like a small apartment. This means the renter or owner can use the box for every event at the venue. A few places rent them for just one event. Prices can range from about US$5,000 to millions of dollars. It depends on the venue and the events held there.
Luxury boxes are a huge way for sports teams and venue owners to make money. Since the late 1990s, these special seats have helped professional sports teams stay strong financially. This trend started in North America but is now popular in Europe too. For example, Emirates Stadium in London makes almost as much money from its premium seats as Arsenal F.C. made from its entire old stadium!
In North American sports, teams don't have to share the money from luxury boxes. They usually have to share money from regular ticket sales with visiting teams. This is why teams often want new stadiums with more luxury boxes.
How Luxury Boxes Affect Other Fans
Some people think luxury boxes have changed the game-day experience for regular fans. This is because the boxes are placed in the middle, pushing the upper seats higher and farther away.
However, some newer stadiums have tried to fix this. Places like Ford Field and Red Bull Arena put all their luxury boxes on just one side. This allows the other sides of the stadium to have seats closer to the action. State Farm Arena in Atlanta also changed its design. It removed upper-level luxury boxes and added more traditional seats.
Where Are Luxury Boxes Found?
The stadium with the most luxury boxes is the Estadio Monumental "U" in Lima, Peru. It has an amazing 1,251 boxes! The very first stadium to have a luxury box was the Astrodome in Houston, Texas, built in 1965.
The Indianapolis Motor Speedway added its first luxury boxes in 1973. They were part of a motel complex on the grounds. A unique setup is at Boston College. Some luxury boxes there overlook both the football stadium and the indoor arena! The University of South Dakota later copied this idea. Their Sanford Coyote Sports Center opened in 2016. Some boxes there let you watch both basketball/volleyball games and football games in the attached DakotaDome.
Luxury boxes are a big part of major professional sports in North America. The The Palace of Auburn Hills was a pioneer in the 1980s. Its many luxury suites inspired other modern NBA arenas. Even though it was one of the oldest NBA arenas by 2017, its design was ahead of its time.
Top European soccer teams have also built new stadiums with many luxury boxes. Teams like Benfica, Bayern Munich, Arsenal, and Juventus have done this. Other clubs, such as Real Madrid and Manchester United, have updated their old stadiums to add more luxury boxes.
Luxury Boxes in the NFL
The National Football League (NFL) uses luxury boxes a lot. The NFL has a rule where teams share a big part of their regular ticket money. This helps all teams, especially those in smaller cities. But money from luxury boxes is not shared. This makes them a top way for teams to earn money.
Also, the NFL used to have a "blackout rule." If a game wasn't sold out, it wouldn't be shown on local TV. To make it easier to sell out, stadiums sometimes built fewer regular seats and more luxury boxes. Teams have even used the idea of moving to a new city to get help from local governments. This help would be for building new stadiums or updating old ones.
What Is Club Seating?
Club seating is another special type of seating. It's also called club-level seating or premium seating. You might hear different names for it, like "Legends Suite seats" at Yankee Stadium.
Unlike luxury boxes, club seating is usually open to the outside. This gives you more of an outdoor feel at stadiums without roofs. Club seating is considered more exclusive than regular seats, but not as private as luxury boxes.
Club seats can be sold as single tickets or rented out like luxury suites. This gives more choices for individuals and smaller companies. Luxury boxes are usually rented by big companies for a lot of money each year. Like luxury boxes, club seating brings in much more money than regular seats.
Luxury boxes have been around since the 1960s. But club-level seating is a newer idea from the 1990s. Club seating can be added in the middle section of a stadium. It costs less and takes up less space than adding only luxury boxes.
Club Seating: Extra Perks
Club levels offer many more perks than standard seats. The seats themselves are often wider and more comfortable. Fans with club tickets get special access to indoor areas. These areas are air-conditioned and have special restaurants, merchandise shops, and lounges. These spots are only for club ticket holders.
The food and drinks at club-level concession stands are often different too. This makes the experience feel even more special. These areas are separate from the rest of the venue. You can usually only get in through private club entrances. Parking and help from a concierge (someone who helps with services) are often available. There are also many more bathrooms for club-level fans. This means shorter lines!
Club levels are usually in the middle of the stadium. They are above the lower seats but below the upper seats. They are often near the luxury boxes. Some club levels don't go all the way around the stadium. But some, like at Emirates Stadium in London, have a full tier of club seating. Some luxury suites, like at MetLife Stadium, are not fully enclosed. They have open seats, similar to club level.
