HARRISON, N.J. (February 26, 2020) – The New York Red Bulls announced today a series of upgrades to Red Bull Arena for the 2020 season. Additional open concept spaces will be introduced, along with renovations to existing premium areas and enhancements to the arena’s audio/visual system and stadium entry procedures. Delaware North and the Red Bulls will also roll out new concessions offerings and initiatives to expedite wait times.
“Entering Red Bull Arena’s 11th season, while celebrating MLS’ 25th anniversary, fan experience remains at the heart of our decision making,” said Red Bulls General Manager Marc de Grandpre. “We’re very excited about the improvements we are making to the arena, which are driven by fan feedback and intended to improve the gameday experience, from shorter lines to more social gathering spaces. This is the next step in a multi-year plan to make sure we continue to provide the best possible in-stadium experience to the most passionate fans in sports.”
The Red Bulls and Heineken® have furthered a long-standing partnership with the opening of the Heineken® Deck on the Northeast Concourse. The premium space creates an elevated sports viewing and bar experience and will be installed in an open-concept area behind section 124. Heineken® has been the Official Import Beer of the Red Bulls since 2015.
In 2019, the Red Bulls opened the Blue Point Dock on the Southeast Concourse behind section 128 to provide fans the ability to watch the match near the South Ward while enjoying a selection of Blue Point beers. Blue Point Brewing Company, based in Patchogue, Long Island, became a partner of the Red Bulls in 2018.
Additional renovations will also be made to the midfield premium spaces at Red Bull Arena. 500 seats will be upgraded between the club sections of 108 and 111, and all of sections 109 and 110, and a new social viewing space will be created above the club sections of 109 and 110. The renovations to the midfield premium areas will be completed early in the 2020 season.
Honda, an Official Marketing Partner of the New York Red Bulls since 2017, will open a deck in sections 228 and 229, with upgraded seating and branding. The space will be utilized for larger groups. The Honda Deck is expected to be open for March 28, when the Red Bulls host Orlando City SC.
The organization will also install new high-definition field boards and replace the speaker system on the concourse to better keep fans engaged while they move around the arena. The full audio system within the arena will be replaced in 2021.
The Red Bulls and Securitas will introduce new state-of-the-art metal detectors at all gates. The walk-through magnetometer scanners, already in use at MetLife, will allow for expedited security screenings, speeding up entry into Red Bull Arena. The Red Bulls will also introduce SafeTix to their mobile ticketing platform to make mobile ticketing more secure for fans. Tap and Go entry will be available from tickets stored in a smartphone wallet.
- READ: Entering Red Bull Arena
2020 Red Members will also be provided with wristbands that have their section number printed on them, allowing access to their seats without pulling up tickets on their phone once inside the arena.
Delaware North will roll out a reusable souvenir cup program this season, with options for free refills for a single-game or full season, at food and beverage locations throughout the stadium. Cups will be available at all locations, and separate soft drink refill stations are being implemented in order to cut down customers waiting in line for drinks only and shorten the time fans spend in line.
Delaware North will offer a variety of new stadium fare at locations such as Taco Roqueros, Fat Rooster and The Boardwalk.
In January of 2020 Red Bull Arena moved to LED lighting throughout the interior of the building. The energy-efficient lights will reduce the amount of electricity used in the arena by 30%. Delaware North’s transition away from bottled soft drinks will greatly reduce the amount of plastic used at Red Bull Arena.
The renovations come as part of a multi-year investment to improve Red Bull Arena, as last year saw the installation of new, dynamic video boards and mobile-only ticketing. The video boards, nearly twice the size of the original boards at Red Bull Arena, support higher-quality video for live action and instant replay, and also utilize variable content zoning to display in-game stats and graphics.
Mobile Ticketing was designed to create a safe and convenient ticketing experience while increasing protection against fraud. By utilizing the New York Red Bulls app, fans can store eCash, parking passes and tickets all on their phone.
