SoFi Stadium

• 1. Site History And Development

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  The Hollywood Park Racetrack operated as a thoroughbred race course from 1938 until it shut down for racing and training in December 2013. Most of the complex was demolished in 2014 to make way for new construction with the rest demolished in late 2016 after the Hollywood Park Casino moved to a new building. The stadium site was previously home to Betfair Hollywood Park, which closed its doors permanently that same year. In May 1995, NFL team owners approved a resolution supporting a plan to build a $200 million privately funded stadium on property owned by Hollywood Park for the Los Angeles Raiders. Al Davis balked at the deal over a stipulation requiring him to accept a second team at the stadium. On the 31st of January 2014, the Los Angeles Times reported that Stan Kroenke purchased a parcel of land just north of the former racetrack site. This purchase set off immediate speculation about whether the Rams would return to their home of nearly fifty years. Stockbridge Capital Group announced on the 5th of January 2015, that it had partnered with Kroenke Sports & Entertainment to add the northern portion of the land to the development project. The Inglewood City Council approved plans with a 5, 0 unanimous vote on the 24th of February 2015 to combine the plot of land with the larger Hollywood Park development and rezone the area. Construction began later that year as developers prepared the ground for what would become a multi-purpose facility.

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• 2. Architectural Design Features

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  SoFi Stadium features an independently supported translucent canopy covering the stadium proper, the adjacent pedestrian plaza, and the attached performance venue. The million-square-foot canopy is made up of 302 ETFE panels, 46 of which can be opened to provide ventilation. These panels are supported by a cable net structure designed to withstand weather while allowing sunlight through. The canopy has 27,000 embedded LED pucks capable of displaying images and video visible from airplanes flying into Los Angeles International Airport. Above the field hangs the Infinity Screen by Samsung, an ovular double-sided 4K HDR video board suspended from the roof. This structure weighs approximately 1,000 tons and displays 80 million pixels across its surface. The Infinity Screen houses the stadium's 260-speaker audio system along with 56 5G wireless antennas. Despite having a roof, the open sides of the stadium make it vulnerable to lightning delays. The first such delay occurred during an NFL game between the Chargers and the Las Vegas Raiders on the 4th of October 2021. The attached music and theatre venue known as YouTube Theater holds 6,000 seats within the southeast corner under the stadium canopy.

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• 3. Construction Timeline And Challenges

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  The NFL approved the Inglewood proposal and the Rams' relocation back to Los Angeles 30, 2 on the 12th of January 2016 over the rival Carson proposal. Turner Construction and AECOM Hunt were announced on the 14th of July 2016 to oversee construction while HKS designed the stadium. On the 16th of December 2016, the Federal Aviation Administration declined to issue permits for cranes needed to build the structure due to concerns about how the building would interact with radar at nearby LAX. The FAA had previously recommended building the stadium at another site because of risks posed to air navigation. On the 23rd of December 2016, the FAA finally approved large construction cranes after resolving their concerns. The Rams held the groundbreaking construction ceremony at the stadium site on the 17th of November 2016 featuring NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and Rams owner Stan Kroenke. Record rainfall in May 2017 postponed completion from 2019 until the 2020 NFL season. As of August 2019, one year before planned opening, Rams chief operating officer Kevin Demoff stated that the stadium was 75 percent complete. In February 2020 a large crane collapsed though no one was injured during the incident. Construction continued through the COVID-19 pandemic despite stay-at-home orders issued by California state government in March 2020. Five construction workers tested positive including an ironworker who worked in an assembly area away from the structure. On the 5th of June 2020 construction temporarily halted after an ironworker fell to his death through a hole in the roof created by panel removal for maintenance.

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• 4. Tenant Leases And Team Relocations

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  The St. Louis Rams were first to commit to moving to the stadium as NFL approval for their relocation to Los Angeles was obtained on the 12th of January 2016. This approval gave the San Diego Chargers the first option to relocate to Los Angeles and share the stadium with the Rams conditioned on a negotiated lease agreement between the two teams. The option would have expired on the 15th of January 2017 at which time the Oakland Raiders would have acquired the same option. On the 29th of January 2016 the Rams and Chargers came to an agreement in principle to share the stadium. Both teams contributed a $200 million stadium loan from the NFL and personal seat license fees to construction costs while paying $1 per year in rent to StadCo LA LLC. Chargers chairman and CEO Dean Spanos announced on that same day that the team would remain in San Diego for the 2016 NFL season while continuing work on a new stadium proposal. Measure C did not receive the requisite number of votes required for passage. On the 12th of January 2017 the Chargers exercised their option and announced plans to relocate to Los Angeles for the 2017 season making them the second tenant at the stadium. The Chargers exercising of their option led the Raiders to move to Las Vegas Nevada instead beginning play at Allegiant Stadium in 2020. The Rams and Chargers move into the stadium marked the return of major professional sports to Inglewood for first time since Lakers and Kings left The Forum for Staples Center in October 1999.

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• 5. Major Sporting Events Hosted

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  On the 2nd of May 2021 the stadium hosted its first major event with spectators present filming Global Citizen organized concert special Vax Live: The Concert to Reunite the World hosted by Selena Gomez. SoFi Stadium hosted its first in-person concert event by American DJ Kaskade on July 17 after COVID restrictions were eased. Mexican regional music group Los Bukis kicked off their reunion tour August 27 and 28 filling stadium to capacity generating $19,382,302 from two shows. On November 27 and 28 plus December 1 and 2 stadium hosted Permission to Dance on Stage run of four concerts by K-pop group BTS taking gross of $33.3 million making them highest-grossing concert engagement ever held in California. Taylor Swift became first act to perform and sell out five and six shows at stadium on single tour during The Eras Tour generating massive revenue figures. Beyoncé's Renaissance World Tour sold 155,567 tickets across two nights generating $45,540,402 becoming highest-grossing female boxscore in history. Metallica's M72 World Tour brought 142,738 fans over two nights earning $17,508,000 while Playboi Carti became first hip-hop artist to sell out SoFi Stadium. The stadium has become central hub for major musical performances with record-breaking attendance and financial contributions driving cultural impact throughout Southern California region.

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