HARRISON, NEW JERSEY – April 1, 2024 - Red Bull Arena, in the heart of Harrison, New Jersey, has once again proven its prowess as a leading destination for soccer enthusiasts.
The home of the New York Red Bulls saw the club launch the 2024 MLS season with back-to-back home wins in challenging weather conditions, including the debut of Emil Forsberg and a 4-0 victory over Inter Miami CF. New York Giants legend and WFAN host Tiki Barber, SNL’s Kenan Thompson and Z100’s Danielle Monaro came through to see RBNY’s victories.
NY/NJ Gotham FC began their NWSL campaign with their second-highest attended match in the Challenge Cup, with Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff and Governor Phil Murphy and the First Lady in attendance.
Red Bull Arena played host to three sold-out soccer matches in just four electrifying days between March 21 and 24.
"We are thrilled to have welcomed such enthusiastic crowds to Red Bull Arena during the whole month of March," said Elisa Padilla, Chief Marketing Officer of New York Red Bulls. "With over 100,000 tickets sold for the matches in March, this unprecedented support from fans underscores the unmatched experience and energy our venue brings to every sporting event. We are incredibly proud to continue providing unforgettable moments for sports fans from across the region."
Over 75,000 tickets were distributed for the three matches across four days as Red Bull hosted sold out games, with Ecuador facing off against Guatemala, the New York Red Bulls triumphing over Inter Miami CF in the pouring rain and Ecuador and Italy facing off the next day on a pristine pitch.
On top of the incredible victory for RBNY over Miami, the club also captured worldwide attention with an unplanned moment when the club’s players removed their jackets and gave them to the youth soccer players who accompany them onto the field during a torrential downpour. The club garnered tens of millions of views on owned and operated channels, as well as over 6.17 million potential news reach across the globe and an increase in mentions up over 60,000% according to Meltwater, an online media monitoring service.
Red Bull Arena will soon play host to the United States Women’s National Team as well as a host of other upcoming soccer and non-soccer events in 2024.
Heading into the 2024 season, New York Red Bulls upgraded the lighting system by utilizing Musco TLC for LED System, which enhanced the lights at Red Bull Arena. Decker Electric, Inc. completed the work on the new lighting system that will provide higher on-field light levels and reduce energy consumption by more than 20%. The ability for color-changing fixtures allowed Red Bull Arena to wash the stadium in different colors and heighten the fan experience during goal celebrations, player introduction, and other big moments.
