Image: VisitNJ.org
Just 11 months out of hosting the 2026 FIFA World Cup Final, when more than 1.5-billion football fans will have their eyes on New York’s MetLife Stadium, management has announced a series of improvements designed to enhance the fan experience at the 82,500-seater venue.
The announcement comes just days out of a highly anticipated pre-season NFL fixture between the Giants and Jets, both of whom call the MetLife Stadium home, providing a glorious opportunity to gauge the scale of the achievement in front of what is expected to be a capacity turnout.
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“MetLife Stadium continually searches for new ways to improve our guest experience,” said MetLife Stadium President and CEO Ron VanDeVeen.
“We believe these enhancements will provide an engaging event-day atmosphere for our guests.”
Chief among those changes will be the introduction of four new cornerstone video boards, designed to produce crystal clear images for football fans inside the stadium. The four video boards feature an improved 8MM high-resolution LED for higher-contrast, crisp on-screen content and better viewing angles.
Work to replace the tunnel entrance boards, the sideline-facing game-in-progress screens, the 360° fascia ribbon board, and the remaining video boards and displays on the concourses, plazas, and fan activation zones will continue through the NFL season and be completed in early 2026, just in time to make any additional judgement calls ahead of the FIFA World Cup — the first hosted by the United States since 1994.
The tunnel entrance boards will feature the same technology as the video boards, and the sideline-facing game-in-progress screens and 360° fascia ribbon board will have 10MM LED resolution for even sharper graphics and stats. ANC, a leader in AV technology design and integration for over 25 years, is coordinating the installation of the digital signage.
Another key development ahead of the FIFA World Cup is the increase in 5G cellular capacity for the stadium, which will ensure that no visitor fails to capture and savor the key moments of the greatest single sporting event in the world, regardless of whether you find yourself in the seating bowl, or any of the key cubs in and around the venue — the EY Coaches Club, Moody’s Commissioners Club, Corona Beach Club, MetLife 50 Club, Miller Lite MVP Club, in the Ticketmaster Suites, and on the field.
The Stadium has installed two sensory pods designed to reduce sensory overload and will continue to provide sensory bags containing noise-cancelling equipment, fidget toys and weighted lap pads for checkout at any Guest Services Booth or Concierge Desk located throughout the Stadium.
In the context of the FIFA World Cup, and football in general, the least significant of the upgrades will be the improved audio system, but it will be great for the NFL season, where complete clarity is everything for the fans.
The MetLife Stadium already had a test run for this, when Chelsea beat Paris Saint-Germain in front of 81, 118 football fans at the FIFA Club World Cup earlier this year and while there are still some anxieties over the United States being a suitable host for the FIFA World Cup — for numerous reasons that feel like a departure from global football traditions — every indication is that the stadium experience for fans will be unlike anything experienced in the tournament’s history.
“MetLife Stadium will again have the eyes of the world on it in 2026 when the FIFA World Cup comes to New Jersey,” said Marketing Vice President Liz McFadden this week.
“Eight matches will take place at MetLife Stadium, culminating with the Final on July 19, 2026. The matches are projected to generate over $2 billion in economic impact for the New York-New Jersey region, bring well over 1 million fans to NYNJ, and support over 14,000 jobs. In 2022, the Final reached a global audience of 1.5 billion viewers,” added McFadden, reflecting on just how significant a moment this was for New York.