The LA Clippers’ new arena, The Intuit Dome, is well on its way to completely redefining the guest experience — XP pros, take note. While the Clippers may have never won an NBA Championship or even appeared in the finals (and now Paul George is playing for the 76ers), what they lack in wins, they make up for in innovation.
The $2 billion, 18,000-seat arena is located a mile south of SoFi Stadium, home to the LA Rams. The 26-acre site includes a practice facility, sports medicine clinic, team offices, retail space and a large outdoor plaza with public basketball courts. This new venue is a huge milestone for the Clippers, who have previously rented their playing facilities, dating back to their time as the Buffalo Braves in the 1970s. The team has been a tenant of the Crypto.com Arena — formerly known as Staples Center — alongside the Lakers since 1999.
Now, the Intuit Dome is designed to indulge Clippers fans with amenities.
A pilgrimage to the basketball mecca includes an 80,000-square-foot outdoor plaza, subterranean luxury cabanas for an exclusive courtside view, and — maybe the coolest of all — phone chargers for every single seat. Plus, adding twice the number of restrooms compared to typical sports arenas ensures that fans never miss a moment of the action. The Dome’s “pay with your face” feature at entry and concessions utilizes facial recognition software for faster-moving lines and less fumbling for your phone while balancing hotdogs on your forearm (though some just call it creepy). And Clippers owner Steve Ballmer‘s vision extends beyond just convenience into comfort — he tested over 40 types of seat cushions before choosing the final product.
The venue also includes a specialized section called ‘The Wall,’ dedicated to the most hardcore Clippers fans. This 51-row section near the visitor’s bench is exclusive for diehard members of Clipper Nation who become ‘Chuckmark certified,’ ensuring maximum noise and support. Fans can buy the ‘Ultimate Wall Pass’ for $1,299, with access to all 41 regular-season games. The pass includes a first-come, first-serve seating system that rewards early arrivals and a shareable option for those who can’t attend every game.
In a recent episode of the Rapid Response podcast, Steve and AT&T CEO John Stankey discussed the league’s most technologically advanced arena with host Bob Safian. With state-of-the-art technology and a design that prioritizes fan engagement, the Clippers hope to carve out their own identity and an unmatched live sports experience in a city dominated by the Lakers.
“We have cameras and microphones in the building so that we can tell who’s the most enthusiastic fan, who’s making the most noise and ensure we’re rewarding people for those activities,” said Steve.
And all of that transformation requires even more tech.
The AT&T experience aims to provide a social space where attendees can interact with AI-generated and user-generated content to keep fans’ heads up (phones down, charging) and engage with the live action. “We put seven and a half miles of fiber in [the Intuit Dome]. And that fiber will be connected to some of the best technology available today,” said John.
Then there’s the Halo Board. This 38,375 sq. ft., double-sided LED scoreboard spans nearly a full acre and includes 3,592 60-inch TVs and 233 million LEDs. It displays game feeds, instant replays, stats and “Player 360 mode.” Suspended above the basketball court, it ensures unobstructed views for all 17,700 seats and engages fans with interactive features via armrest controllers.
The Clippers worked with the city of Inglewood to improve local infrastructure, including funding traffic control systems and widening Prairie Avenue to enhance traffic flow. According to Variety, the project has created about 7,000 construction jobs — with nearly 48% of subcontractors being Black-owned and 35% Latino-owned — and will yield approximately 1,500 permanent jobs at the arena.
However, construction sparked concerns among Inglewood residents about gentrification and fear that the new stadium will exacerbate traffic and rising rents in the neighborhood. They argue that community meetings were not adequately promoted and that the Intuit Dome should contribute to local projects, like the Inglewood transit connector. Community leaders and activists, such as the ING Fellowship, continue to advocate for residents’ voices to be heard and for fair treatment amid Inglewood’s development boom.
Despite the challenges, the Clippers’ new home represents a significant step forward in fanning the flames of fandom for a team perennially in the shadow of the Lakers.
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