The city of Arlington, Texas, in partnership with Esports Venues LLC, has announced plans to convert space from their own Arlington Convention Center into a 100,000 square foot Esports Stadium. As projected this would make it the largest single dedicated venue for Esports in the United States.
Architecture firm Populous has been tapped to provide the vision for the project, bringing with them a vast portfolio of traditional sports stadiums and other assorted projects. Brian Mirakian, senior principal at Populous, has stated “Esports fans will encounter a live experience unlike any other, by way of space for up to 1,000 spectators, VIP amenities and year-round event potential.”
Built up from the less used portion of their convention center, the Arlington Esports Stadium will be placed very conveniently for travelers. A plethora of hotels and restaurants will be a short distance from the venue, blooming in the heart of Arlington’s entertainment district. The Entertainment district is also home to Six Flags, Hurricane Harbor, and the AT&T Stadium.
Arlington is no stranger to sports. The city, which is part of the Mid-Cities region of the Dallas–Fort Worth–Arlington metropolitan area, serves as home for The Texas Rangers, Dallas Cowboys, Dallas Wings, and collegiate sports teams. This spirit of competition even led a talented group of their very own University of Texas Arlington students to crush the opposition in Blizzard’s Heroes of the Dorm 2017 championship , going home with a perfect 29 and 0 record. By unveiling these plans the city’s leadership has shown their confidence in the strength and legitimacy of the Esports scene.
The numbers show that their confidence is well placed. Global Esports revenue in 2017 was 696 Million Dollars, and is set to exceed 1.5 Billion by 2020. Esports are an ever expanding industry with a growing fanbase and a truly global appeal. Arlington isn’t the first city to see the trend and join in. Right here in Las Vegas the Luxor just launched its very own Esports Arena which you can read about here. And neither of these cities will be the last. Esports as an institution is here to stay, and the future looks bright indeed for this vibrant industry.
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