Intuit Dome Is Just Fan Engagement, and That Means More Than You Think
It is said that people desire something when they don’t have it, and that was the feeling many experienced during lockdown with live events. The pandemic clearly had more serious consequences, but the absence of those moments of emotion also impacted people's well-being.
The rebound effect made 2023 the most prolific year for the music industry: attendance increased by 20% compared to the previous year, with 145 million people in 50,000 events, according to a report by Live Nation Entertainment, one of the world's leading production companies.
Some emblematic cases include Taylor Swift’s more than 150 concerts across five continents or the overwhelming success of Coldplay’s shows, which music critics still try to explain. At the heart of this phenomenon is the fact that artists were able to create a show experience that let people live unforgettable moments.
Context is necessary to explain why fan engagement is one of the key factors in organizing any event. A satisfied fan is indeed good business, but the core of each event should be the audience’s enjoyment and happiness.
A few years ago, the Los Angeles Clippers began one of the most ambitious projects in the history of live events: building the Intuit Dome. It’s the most modern venue, designed from the ground up with fan experience in mind.
Intuit Dome represents a paradigm shift because it didn’t need to undergo digital transformation like many other stadiums; it was conceived that way from the beginning. Everything is managed virtually: ticket purchasing, parking access, and stadium entry. Once inside, besides premium hospitality, you can order food on your phone and pick it up with facial recognition payment.
As we incorporate more technology into our daily lives, we become less tolerant of friction points like long lines. That’s why the "phygital" experience needs to pay special attention to the details. Intuit Dome has over a thousand bathrooms, cushioned seats with USB chargers, and the most spacious legroom of any NBA stadium once you sit down.
Statistics provide concrete evidence of the technology’s success in creating frictionless experiences at Intuit Dome. In the first 6 months, more than 400,000 fans adopted GameFace ID, the mobile app that includes facial recognition for hands-free entry to the stadium and features the Identity Pass, an option that requires fans to add their pass to their phone’s wallet.
The success is undeniable: the average time to enter the venue is 6 seconds, and ticket sales are 4 to 8 times faster.
But there’s more. The fan experience might even lead to better results. The seats are digital touchpoints with decibel counters to reward the best fans cheering with discounts in the shop. Behind one of the baskets is "The Wall," a section reserved for the most passionate fans who make the other team uncomfortable. On top, there´s the Halo Board, a unique 360-degree screen.
For many years, the NBA was the leading sports spectacle, while the most vibrant atmosphere belonged to soccer stadiums. The novelty of Intuit Dome is that it will merge these two worlds, offering experiences comparable to Taylor Swift and Coldplay but more than 40 times a year in the same venue.
With the rise of live events, redesigning for a better connection is the key to success. Some may say it’s just about fan engagement. And they’re right, but it’s also much more than that: it’s about creating unforgettable experiences that no one will want to miss.
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2023 was the breakthrough year for women's basketball, with the explosion of viewer interest in the national championship game featuring Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, and that growth has carried over to the WNBA since the two stars went pro, according NBA Global Media Insights Team Leader Michelle Auguste. But a number of other factors are driving the exponential surge in fan engagement throughout the WNBA and in other women's sports, say Auguste, Team Whistle President Joe Caporoso, and Hub Entertainment Research Joe Giegengack in this clip from Streaming Media Connect 2025.
10 Jun 2025