Welcome to the AT&T Stadium
There is an old saying that says that everything is bigger in Texas. Well, when it comes to food servings, cowboy hats, and steers, we can absolutely confirm that to be true. But we would like to add one more piece of Texan magic to that list – the AT&T Stadium in Arlington.
Although the stadium itself is not in Dallas itself, being halfway between the city and Fort Worth, we thought we could still talk about it here, as it is virtually a part of the Dallas skyline. The best betting sites in Texas will still be debating whether the Dallas Cowboys can win the Super Bowl this season. But when it comes to winning the prize for best stadium, the race is already over.
The Cowboys are the wealthiest sports organization on the planet, so it is fitting that their stadium lives up to the name. Let’s take a virtual tour of the place, so you can all get accustomed to this cathedral of sports excellence – and learn a few interesting facts about the place on the way.
Biggest Stadium in Football
Opened in 2009, the AT&T Stadium is the home of the Dallas Cowboys. But owner Jerry Jones envisaged a grander concept when the place was being designed. He saw the opportunity to use the place for all kinds of entertainment – and there have been soccer, concerts, and even professional wrestling events held at the stadium.
The official capacity is now 80,000 but it can be reconfigured to allow 100,000 customers. In fact, the record attendance for a game at AT&T Stadium was set in 2009, when an incredible 105,121 people were able to watch an NFL game between the Cowboys and the New York Giants.
Big Stadium, Big Cost
Unsurprisingly, a stadium of such stature does not come on the cheap. Originally budgeted to cost around $650 million, the final price tag was closer to $1.15 billion, making it one of the most expensive sports stadiums ever built. But Arlington residents were quite happy to help Jerry Jones with his vision.
Local voters approved the raising of a city sales tax, as well as an increase in a hotel occupancy tax and a car rental tax, to help with the cost of the stadium. The City of Arlington actually provided $325 million towards the project, with Jerry Jones promising to cover any cost overruns. The NFL also provided a $150 million loan to help with the build as part of a project to construct new stadiums.
Naming the Stadium
Cowboys fans originally nicknamed the stadium “Jerry World” in honor of the Cowboys owner, and the “Death Star” due to its imposing size. Some even petitioned to have the place named after the late, great Dallas coach, Tom Landry. But Jerry Jones ultimately officially announced that the name would simply be the Cowboys Stadium.
Four years after the stadium was opened, the Cowboys agreed a naming rights deal with AT&T that earns the franchise around $19 million a year. It has also been added to the list of venues to be used for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. For that event, it will revert to its original name to comply with FIFA’s rules on sponsorship.
Innovative Technology
Aside from the sheer size of the stadium itself, the place is best known for its world record-breaking video board. The scoreboard is actually made up of four huge, separate screens. Two of them face the end zones and the other two face the sidelines, so no fan has to miss out on the action.
The four screens provide a staggering 25,000 square feet of video board, with the two that face the sidelines towering at 72 feet. Even the smaller end zone screens are 29 feet high. Although the video board is undoubtedly a technological marvel, some players have complained about its intrusiveness. Four punters have even hit the screen during a game, forcing the re-kick rule to be explained to the watching crowd.
A Football Fan’s Dream
With so much thought gone into the design of the AT&T Stadium, fans can expect one of the best-ever sports experiences when attending any game or event. There are excellent sightlines, wherever you are seated, and there is an official stadium app that offers visitors a variety of features – whether it is game day or not.
The immersive element doesn’t stop there though. With a sponsor like AT&T, it is no surprise that the technology powering the stadium is of the highest standard. Even with crowds of over 80,000, phone signals and wi-fi coverage are exemplary.
Cowboys Country
As mentioned, the Cowboys are the richest teams in sports and one way that they continue to top that league every year is by selling an incredible amount of merchandise and apparel. To help them with that, the AT&T Stadium houses the only NFL pro shop in the league that manufactures its own clothing. The services of the stadium are essentially the same as a small city.
The Dallas Cowboys hold themselves as the representatives of Texas and the AT&T Stadium allows them to boast of a world-leading venue. It will probably be quite a while before any other team catches up with Jerry’s vision.
