Within a year’s time, more attention than ever will be focused on Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.

With the Super Bowl coming in February and then six matches in the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the stadium recently unveiled $200 million in renovations as it welcomed hundreds of season ticket holders for “Levi’s Stadium Under the Lights.”

“We were super proud and very grateful that the feedback was enormously positive,” said Stephanie Rogers, the San Francisco 49ers’ executive vice president of marketing. “Everybody has seen the construction happening at the stadium for several months. To show it off was a jolt of energy not only for season-ticket holders at the building but partners there who were able to see their hard work come to life.”

Levi’s Stadium, capacity 68,500, opened in 2014. The renovation project features new video boards over 70% larger than the previous boards. Other upgrades include new LED field lights, new Wi-Fi and cellular networks, over 120 renovated luxury suites and club spaces and a renovated team store.

“We’re all very proud and super grateful to have this opportunity,” in 2026, Rogers said. “When you talk to anybody who works in sports and you ask them what their bucket list events are, you’d be hard pressed to find anybody who doesn’t put a Super Bowl or World Cup among their top five. We know it’s a huge undertaking and a huge responsibility to deliver for the fans of these sports, and we are excited and proud of the chance to deliver it.”

Construction began last December with preparation starting the day after the 49ers regular season ended. Work was completed in July but planning for renovations began nearly two years ago.

“We have very consistent ongoing dialogue with everybody in the stadium, whether season ticket holders or suite holders or partners,” Rogers said. One example is that fans wanted more core football statistics on the video boards to see easily, so the 49ers worked to develop a video board layout that will ensure a spot with only football-specific content the whole game.

There are also plenty of small but noticeable touches intentional throughout the venue including the production control room, which has 49 monitors and was of big interest from season-ticket holders who had never seen the area before, Rogers said.

“One of the things that I’m really proud of for the team is that all the tech in the room is not out of date, it’s going to grow and evolve,” said Rogers, which is in part credit to the team’s partners in the Silicon Valley region. “What we’re trying to build here, we want to be sustaining the next 8-10 years the next wave of buildout.”

The venue hosted the Super Bowl in 2016 and next summer will host five FIFA World Cup group stage games and a round of 32 game. Rogers said since the venue opened, Levi’s Stadium has driven over $2 billion in estimated economic impact to the region. In 2026 alone it expects to drive $1 billion.

“I think having these events certainly was a motivation and a mark on the calendar,” Rogers said. “But also making these investments and enhancements to the fan experience not only sets us up well to deliver an incredible show for those massively global stages but also long-term, we want to solidify ourselves as a global sports and entertainment destination venue.”

Between the Super Bowl and FIFA World Cup, there will not only be hundreds of thousands of fans attending the games but millions more around the world watching and seeing the venue. The 49ers also have global marketing arrangements in the United Kingdom, Mexico and the United Arab Emirates with a large fan base in Germany added in for even more eyeballs on Levi’s Stadium.

“I hope they see a venue that they immediately add to their bucket list if it isn’t already on there,” Rogers said. “We strive to deliver a fan experience that you can’t get anywhere else in the world. We want fans to come here from afar to enjoy Levi’s Stadium. When they’re watching the big game or any of the FIFA matches, I hope they see a stadium that’s gorgeous and technologically advanced and looks like a place they want to come and experience incredible sporting experiences for themselves.”

Ripken Baseball has signed a 10-year extension with the city of Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, to continue operating The Ripken Experience Pigeon Forge through 2035.

The Ripken Experience Pigeon Forge opened in March 2016 with six turf fields modeled after historic and modern Major League ballparks. In 2023, the complex expanded to include four additional renovated fields at Wear Farm City Park, bringing the total number of playable fields to 10. The venue is designed to replicate the journey from the Minor to Major Leagues, with field layouts inspired by iconic stadiums such as Oriole Park at Camden Yards (Baltimore), BB&T Ballpark (Winston-Salem) and Fluor Field (Greenville).

“Our partnership with the city of Pigeon Forge has created one of the greatest destinations in all of youth sports,” said Bill Ripken, co-founder of Ripken Baseball. “From the moment families arrive at the complex and see the backdrop of the Smoky Mountains, they know they’re somewhere special. We’re proud to keep building unforgettable baseball moments in Pigeon Forge.”

Since launching The Ripken Experience Pigeon Forge in the Smoky Mountains region, the facility has welcomed nearly 10,000 youth baseball and softball teams that played 30,000 games. Over 750,000 unique visitors have generated 480,000 room nights and driven an estimated $320 million in economic impact. Tournaments run nine months out of the year and attract teams from more than 30 states and several countries.

“Ripken Baseball has been a valuable partner for nearly a decade and this extension allows us to continue that momentum,” said Pigeon Forge Mayor Kevin McClure. “The Ripken Experience has delivered measurable economic results while also providing our residents with access to upgraded sports facilities and year-round opportunities.”

Plans to expand Villa Park, the home of Premier League club Aston Villa since 1897, is on the verge of being approved by local city council with the target of being ready to potentially host matches as part of the 2028 European Championships.

Birmingham City Council’s planning committee will gather August 28, reported The Athletic, with a view to voting on redevelopment plans to increase the number of seats available in the North Stand to more than 12,000. Villa Park currently holds 42,640 spectators and is the 11th largest stadium in England.

“Once operational, the project will contribute an estimated £119.9m to the West Midlands economy each year, creating hundreds of jobs during and post-construction, and attracting 1.65m visitors to the local area annually,” Aston Villa said in a section on the club website about Villa Park’s future.

Villa has been aiming for the redevelopment to be completed in the second half of 2027 ahead of the Euro 2028. This is so that the stadium is ready for UEFA Euro 2028, which it is due to be a host venue for.

The Athletic said it has seen draft papers with details of the application and that “it has been recommended for approval by council planners and, therefore, work on extending the North Stand should be authorized.”

Villa has long planned to update the venue. Planning permission was secured in December 2022 before the project was postponed in 2023. The Athletic’s story said the planning application includes research on how fans get to Villa Park with 59% by car, 30% on train and 3% via bus.

“We continue to work closely with all stakeholders to ensure the elements of the project which Aston Villa does not control, such as transport system and infrastructure works, are prioritized to ensure the best outcome for our fans, the local community, the city and the wider region,” the club said on its website.

Villa Park has hosted 55 FA Cup semifinals, more than any other stadium. It hosted three matches in the 1966 World Cup won by England and four matches during Euro ’96 along with the 1999 European Cup Winners’ Cup (now known as the Europa League) and 2012 Community Shield.

The Pittsburgh Riverhounds have announced a planned expansion to the South Shore stadium of the Pittsburgh Riverhounds and Pittsburgh Riveters that would see capacity increase to 15,000 with more premium seating areas, a club with banquet space and suite options.

The expansion positions the Riverhounds to meet U.S. Soccer’s Pro League Standards requiring a capacity of 15,000 for Division One sanctioning. Earlier this year, the United Soccer League announced plans to launch a Division One men’s league competing at the top tier of the sport in the United States with a 2028 launch date. The USL is currently in the process of reviewing applications from clubs interested in its Division One league.

“Since 2014, we have invested significant capital and effort into this stadium and growing soccer around the area. Now, we have a major opportunity to continue that growth,” said Riverhounds Owner Tuffy Shallenberger. “This expansion is going be great for our fans and allow us to take our teams to the level we want to reach, but it’s also going to bring additional events here that will help the entire Pittsburgh community. We’re excited to start and take this next step forward.”

The stadium is currently home for six NCAA varsity teams between soccer and lacrosse. The Riverhounds have hosted numerous events including the annual WPIAL Soccer Championships, the 2018 NCAA Division II Soccer Championships and already has been selected to host the 2027 NCAA Division III Soccer Championships.

“The Pittsburgh Riverhounds are committed to the continued growth of our sport and our stadium,” said Shallenberger. “This community, all around Western Pennsylvania, has supported our team for a long time, and we want to keep getting bigger and better to make them proud.”

Riverside City Council in California has voted unanimously to enter into an exclusive negotiating agreement with GCS Development to transform 56 acres of city-owned land in the Northside neighborhood into the Riverside Sports Complex & Entertainment District.

The master plan includes a professional, multi-use stadium, six soccer fields and an indoor sports and game complex as part of the first phase. The future phase is planned to include housing and retail and community spaces.

“This project provides recreational opportunities that Riverside and our greater region have never had,” Mayor Patricia Lock Dawson said. “It will create a dynamic destination that will energize our local economy and make Riverside the premiere hub for sports and entertainment.”

The site formerly housed the Ab Brown Sports Complex, an 18-field soccer facility that was home to the American Youth Soccer Organization Region 47 from 1985 to 2018. The site has been vacant since 2018.

Ever wonder how the most successful sports facility managers do it?

They seem to keep their fields and courts booked, memberships growing and operations humming without breaking a sweat.

Is it luck, or is there a system that sets them apart?

The youth sports industry is booming. This market, valued at $50 billion in 2024, is forecast to reach $114 billion by 2032. Still, sports facility managers face mounting challenges of rising costs, increased competition and persistently thin margins.

In a business where every dollar counts, thriving requires more than hard work. It takes smart, systematic sports facility management—habits that optimize usage, streamline operations and turn missed opportunities into predictable profit.

To help you meet the challenge, let’s reveal the playbook of high-performing sports facility managers and learn five habits to plug revenue leaks, create new income streams and turn small wins into long-term success.

1. Streamline operations

Many facilities juggle spreadsheets and a patchwork of apps. It may feel familiar using multiple tools to manage bookings, payments and communications.

But the cracks in that system widen as staff become overwhelmed by administrative tasks instead of focusing on members and programming.

This is where all-in-one sports facility management software shines. It combines scheduling, payments, memberships and communications in one place.

These solutions act as an operations command center. One dashboard tracks bookings, billing, staff, resources and engagement. No more switching tabs or bouncing between disconnected apps. Comprehensive solutions reduce errors, save time and improve coordination across your team.

What you can learn from this: Let all-in-one software replace siloed apps. You’ll automate workflows and free up staff for high-value activities, such as enhancing customer experiences and driving growth.

2. Optimize space

Every square foot of your facility should be earning.

Successful managers run back-to-back programs with minimal buffer time and offer special programming to fill traditionally slow periods. They also employ multi-use strategies: a court that hosts youth leagues by day may hold adult pickleball or fitness classes at night.

Another best practice is split-space arrangements. Modern sports facility management software enables you to divide an underused resource into multiple concurrent sessions. For example, break up a turf field into two half-field rentals for training sessions and manage it all through one interface.

What you can learn from this: Treat underused areas as revenue leaks and get strategic about how you fill them.

3. Boost usage the easy way

Unlike optimizing space layout, this habit focuses on filling every time slot.

Cancellations are a standard time and profit leak, but they don’t need to be.

Successful managers let automation eliminate dozens of back-and-forth phone calls daily. Auto-waitlists, real-time alerts and self-serve online booking handle cancellations, keeping your sessions booked and your members satisfied.

What you can learn from this: Use technology to fill gaps and improve customer experiences. You’ll boost efficiency and turn missed opportunities into steady income.

4. Simplify scheduling

Tired of last-minute changes upending your schedules?

Picture this: It’s Tuesday night, and storm warnings force you to reschedule practice on eight baseball fields. Calling hundreds of families at the last minute isn’t realistic.

Fortunately, sports facility management software solves this headache fast. Drag-and-drop tools let you rebuild schedules in minutes. Auto-conflict checkers prevent double bookings, and real-time text alerts keep everyone in the loop.

Scheduling software makes life easy for members, too. With mobile booking, users can register in less than a minute. Smart filters help them find the right class, time, and instructor, and the software remembers their preferences for next time.

What you can learn from this: Let technology lend a hand so your team can stay focused on delivering great experiences.

5. Make the most of data

One facility’s new reporting tool revealed that drop-in users weren’t converting to memberships. With that information, the manager launched a targeted promotion that quickly turned casual visitors into members.

Many facilities miss opportunities like this because they don’t track customer behavior, field/court usage or program performance. Without visibility, underperforming time slots and early signs of churn go unnoticed.

By contrast, savvy managers rely on data to make timely decisions. For example, they use forecasting tools to anticipate slow periods. Then, they introduce exciting new programs and special pricing before revenue starts to dip.

What you can learn from this: Use reporting tools to monitor performance and predict trends. With the right data, you can be more strategic about new income streams.

Make success a habit

Running a profitable business isn’t about working longer hours or chasing trends. The most successful sports facility managers adopt proven habits that plug profit leaks and drive more revenue.

Programs, pricing and people are all key ingredients in a facility’s success. But without the right systems in place, even the best-run operations can fall short. Tools like real-time scheduling, automated waitlists and data analytics not only save time; they also streamline operations and help you make smarter decisions daily.

Start with one or two of the habits described above and tailor them to fit your needs. When smart systems power good habits, success isn’t just possible — it becomes a predictable next step.

Billy Becher is founder of Playbook365, a leading event housing and tournament software provider. The technology offers tournament, club and facility management solutions. To date, it has powered more than 61,000 events for more than 1 million teams and contracted more than 21 million hotel room nights. Playbook365 is part of Travel + Leisure Co. (NYSE:TNL), the world’s leading membership and leisure travel company.

East Texas A&M University has chosen Sports Facilities Companies to operate its new ssports facility which is set to open in fall of 2026.

SFC will oversee staffing, facility maintenance, programming, marketing and daily operations management. Beyond operations, SFC will collaborate with the university to lead a branding, naming and logo creation process.

With construction underway, the 65,000-square-foot sports venue will support the school’s new Division I status. Features of the new facility include approximately 2,500 stadium seats, two suites, four locker rooms, eight coaches’ offices, food and beverage services, two multipurpose press rooms, an adjacent hotel and an arcade and other family amenities.

“This new facility represents a significant milestone for our university and our community,” said East Texas A&M President Mark Rudin. “It reflects East Texas A&M’s commitment to excellence in athletics and student engagement. The Sports Facilities Companies’ expertise has been instrumental in turning our vision into a tangible reality and we cannot wait to see the profound impact this state-of-the-art venue will have on our students, athletes, and supporters for years to come.”

In addition to hosting athletics, the facility will serve as a community hub for the university and Northeast Texas region.

“We are honored to partner with East Texas A&M University to bring this dynamic sports facility to life,” said John Sparks, SFC senior vice president of venue management. “More than an athletic venue, this facility embodies the spirit of collaboration, excellence and vision that the university stands for. We aim to design a space that is a vital asset for the campus and the Northeast Texas community for many years to come.”

The crowd started to stir on this early June night in Florida as dark clouds gathered over the field. Rain started, slowly and then more steadily and harder, as those in the crowd began to take shelter under the concourses.

There was also a nervous energy for when — not if in this case — the umpires would call for a rain delay. Because on this night, against the visiting Texas Rangers, the Tampa Bay Rays and its fans were about to experience a first for the franchise: A regular season rain delay.

The Rays are playing this season’s home games across Tampa Bay at the New York Yankees’ spring training home of Steinbrenner Field, because Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg was severely damaged by Hurricane Milton. The Rays’ home since 1998, the fabric roof over Tropicana Field was ripped to shreds after Hurricane Milton came ashore, bringing wind gusts exceeding 100 mph and flooding parts of Florida.

At about 11,000 seats, Steinbrenner Field is the largest spring training site in Florida. That the Rays stayed in market and did not go elsewhere to play is the reverse of what the Athletics are currently doing in California, or what the Toronto Blue Jays did during the pandemic (including a season in Florida).

“Any time you’re fortunate enough to have a professional franchise in your market, you want to do everything to keep them there because of what it represents and means to your community,” said Jason Aughey, senior vice president of sports tourism for the Tampa Bay Sports Commission. “That partners like the Yankees were able to make it happen says a lot about them and the way that the community has rallied and come together under the circumstances says a lot about the grit and togetherness of what Team Tampa Bay is all about.”

The Rays’ saga has dragged on for years and the news about a potential ownership change, with the tentative plan to return to the Trop next year, looms over fans. Yet in this region that abuts the Gulf of Mexico, there is way, way more than baseball.

All Pulling Together

Yes, Tampa has a reputation for major sporting events on both the collegiate and professional levels; five Super Bowls (including the famous pandemic event), the 1999 NCAA Men’s Basketball Final Four and this past season’s Women’s Final Four (one year after hosting the NCAA Volleyball Championships). It’s been home in the past year to a preseason MLS game featuring Lionel Messi, four nights of WWE and will host the 2027 and 2028 American Athletic Conference men’s basketball tournaments.

But like many markets, what can move economic impact equally as much is the 97 youth and amateur events Tampa hosted last year. In November 2024, the Red Bull Flugtag attracted nearly 100,000 people to the Tampa Convention Center. More than 20,000 cheerleaders descended upon downtown for a recent Varsity Spirit competition.

“There’s no denying the profound economic impact that comes from hosting these events,” Aughey said. “We find that a lot of families turn their trip into a vacation because of all we have to offer away from the fields or off the court. When you see all these people staying in hotels, eating at restaurants and visiting attractions, there is an intrinsic value derived from knowing that your organization played a direct role in helping bring them to Tampa.”

The Tournament SportsPlex of Tampa Bay, a county owned and operated facility, opened in November 2018 after a six-year process from proposal to approval to groundbreaking. The complex, which has 15 full-size soccer fields that can be adapted to as many as 54 flag football fields, is a special event complex that keeps its schedule to around 25 events per year at most to keep the fields from being overused.

Stephen Reed, vice president of the Sportsplex, said that more than 90% of what the complex hosts is youth events. “We don’t want it to be run down,” he said. “Having the outside partnership with the county has helped tremendously to keep the status of the fields and the status of the complex up.”

The SportsPlex’s location with a 20-minute drive between downtown and the Tampa Bay International Airport means there can be up to 10,000 hotel rooms available for tournaments (the region overall has approximately 26,000 hotel rooms). With three operations employees and five maintenance people to maintain the quality of the fields, the SportsPlex is able to serve as almost a one-stop shop for event organizers.

“We’ve gone from a lot of smaller local and regional events to more nationwide events,” Reed said. “Our scheduling has become easier because a lot of these groups want to come back here after year, so it makes it a lot easier for us just to roll to the next year.”

Seven years on from its opening, the SportsPlex has developed new parts within its facility. There’s been a building for locker rooms and extra shade for teams constructed and in addition to a concession area, food trucks will come to the venue to help feed athletes and families during big tournaments. There’s also meeting room space and a vendor building for event organizers who are selling merchandise during an event, Reed said.

“When you’re bringing in these events and giving local kids and coaches the opportunity to participate and experience events that are truly the best of the best, it raises the profile for people in the market and generates a tremendous sense of pride,” Aughey said.

Catching Rays Outside

On the night of this first regular season rain delay, it didn’t last long as a matter of fact. And when the Rays’ ground crew rolled the tarp back up, the scoreboard in left field kept track of the time needed —  just under one minute, impressive given that before this season only two people on the grounds crew had ever pulled a tarp.

“The biggest difference is that during spring training, you typically gets cold fronts that come down so you can kind of really gauge when to put the tarp on,” said one of those people, Dan Moeller, director of special project and field operations for the Rays. “(Today), you’ve got those pop up storms and you can pull the tarp anytime.”

Playing outside means more time for Moeller on his phone — “I spend a lot of time looking at different (weather) apps on my phone. And it’s almost like every single app has a different story to tell.” But being outside means more than just needing to pull a tarp during a weather delay.

The Rays’ ground crew has worked to change how the grass is cut, especially in the outfield, as the regular season has gone on. Even more than that is the infield dirt, which is more of a clay-based surface.

“The infielders really didn’t like the clay that was in here, which is more of a spring training type clay,” Moeller said. “So we changed out the clay to give them more of a feel like the Trop.”

Watering the field also means new challenges for the Rays’ ground crew. Before, there was the consistent conditions of indoors at the Trop. Now with the changing conditions of outdoors, Moeller relies on player feedback.

“We’ll go out and talk to the players like during batting practice, try and get their feedback and tweak things as we go along,” he said. “And then, of course, having day games, that’s a totally different animal because it doesn’t matter how much water we put on the field at game time — by the third or fourth inning, it’s like a concrete out there. So it’s difficult to deal with in that respect, the day games and night games. And now that we’re coming into the rainy season, it’s going to be a whole another tweak to it.”

Tweaking how things are presented is something that Warren Hypes, vice president, creative and brand for the Rays, knows all too well this season. Steinbrenner Field looks and feels like the Rays’ home ballpark this season but it was nothing but easy in doing so. There was months of measuring the entire ballpark and working with the Yankees in knowing the dimensions needed for wall coverings, flags, advertising billboards — and then four days between the end of spring training and the start of the season to wrap the stadium in gold and blue.

“I don’t think the adrenaline stopped through those four days or even through the first homestand here,” Hypes said. “We all put so much into it and for on Opening Day to see how it went and to see the fans’ reaction to be able to do things outside — we don’t normally do flyovers and fireworks —  it’s been really special and definitely a season I’ll never forget.”

The Rays worked with five different signage vendors to wrap the ballpark and 50 installers from those vendors, Hypes said, as well as several hundred team employees who volunteered time to do everything from putting Rays stickers on walls to going to the outfield wall with sponges and brushes to clean the walls of dirt before new sponsorship banners could be overlaid.

“Going into every season, you may have changes on the roster or different partners or whatnot,” Hypes said. “But to do it on this scale and with this kind of timeline and to work with a partner — it wasn’t our building that we could just do whatever we want, so the partnership aspect of it with the Yankees is super important. To this magnitude it’s the biggest project in my career.”

This project will be more than just one year’s worth of experiences for the Rays. Between not just the look at the ballpark but the digital assets on video boards and marketing campaigns, there are new ideas and presentations that could be transferred back to the old stadium for next year.

“I think anytime you do something challenging in your career and you get through it, it makes you better,” Hypes said. “You definitely have experiences from it that make you better. It make you learn new things. So that’s super important.”

Sooner or later, the attention for the Rays — playoff appearance notwithstanding — will turn to next year and the proposed return to the Trop, with lessons learned about dressing the facility with a new look. There will also be another youth event at the SportsPlex, the 2026 NHL Stadium Series or another update on the University of South Florida’s on-campus football stadium or more cheerleading at the convention center. It’s part of the mix that the region delivers for a sports market that appreciates what it in town but also are anticipating what’s next.

“Whether it’s coming out supporting a special event or contributing to record attendance at an NCAA championship, this is an engaged community where people are always looking for something to do,” Aughey said. “People always ask what’s next because that’s the expectation here — in looking ahead, there are a ton of exciting announcements on the horizon.”

United Soccer League Championship club Detroit City FC has chosen HOK to lead the design of its 15,000–seat stadium in southwest Detroit, which is expected to open for the 2027 United Soccer League season.

“This partnership with HOK marks an exciting new chapter for our stadium project and DCFC,” said Sean Mann, chief executive officer of DCFC. “This stadium represents more than a home for our club — it’s a testament to the passion and resilience of our supporters and the spirit of our city.

“As one of the first major projects led by a new generation of Detroiters, we take immense pride in creating a place where our community can gather and celebrate for years. We look forward to working with an industry leader like HOK to bring this vision to life.”

The city’s first soccer-specific stadium will be constructed on the abandoned site of the former Southwest Detroit Hospital. HOK’s design will include a community hub that bridges downtown Detroit between the Corktown and Southwest neighborhoods. Beyond match days, Detroit City FC envisions the stadium supporting economic development in the neighborhoods.

“We’re honored to collaborate with Detroit City FC on a project that will celebrate the club’s passionate supporters while energizing the city,” said Chris DeVolder, director of sports, recreation and entertainment at HOK. “The stadium will be a vibrant example of urban placemaking. Our design will embrace the unique site and offer fans an exceptional, hospitality-driven game-day experience.”

Founded in 2012, Detroit City FC fields a men’s first team that participates in the USL Championship and a women’s team that plays in the amateur USL W League. HOK’s recent and ongoing projects include Etihad Park, New York City’s soccer-specific stadium for New York City FC; Energizer Park for St. Louis City SC; Little Caesars Arena and The District Detroit in Detroit; Mercedes-Benz Stadium and the State Farm Arena renovation in Atlanta; the Footprint Center renovation in Phoenix; Hard Rock Stadium in Miami and Rogers Place in Edmonton.

British Esports has been given approval for its flagship Gaming and Esports Arena, a 15,000-square-foot arena alongside the National Esports Performance Campus in Sunderland which is set to open in early 2026.

The first of its kind esports arena in Europe will become a training and education hub. It will be equipped with a 200-seat theatre, a 17m-wide LED screen, broadcast, content and editing studios, retail and hospitality, performance rooms and an outdoor activation space.

“This is our St George’s Park for esports, a national home with world-class performance spaces that will help train the next generation of esports talent and help grow the region to be a key leader in esports in the UK,” said Andy Payne OBE, the chair of British Esports. “The arena completes a multi-year vision to develop a campus that’s built to develop esports athletes, deliver first-class events, and support entrepreneurs and creators.

“This significant development marks another crucial step forward in British Esports’ mission to champion grassroots esports development and elite athlete performance across the nation and globally. It will help generate new jobs and drive economic prosperity for the North East, forming a key part of the expansive Riverside Sunderland initiative.”

The Gaming and Esports Arena will sit alongside the National Esports Performance Campus, which opened in 2023. Work begins on the arena in September. The arena will be a multi-use venue available for private bookings, events, games industry and esports community events, national competitions and more.

“We are thrilled to see work progressing on the development of British Esports’ Gaming and Esports Arena at Riverside Sunderland, which is held up as one of the most ambitious regeneration schemes in the UK right now,” said Michael Mordley, leader of Sunderland City Council. “It is a game-changing development which will cement Sunderland’s reputation as the home of esports in the UK, while providing a major boost to the regional economy, creating high skilled jobs for local people and attracting visitors from across the globe to our transforming city.”