$2B Intuit Dome Could Reprogram How Fans View Attending Live Events

$2B Intuit Dome Could Reprogram How Fans View Attending Live Events

Intuit Dome, the soon to be home of the Los Angeles Clippers, was recently awarded NBA All-Star 2026. The weekend-long basketball extravaganza will showcase the league’s best players–and the next-gen venue.

Intuit Dome will be the most tech-enabled venue in sports when it opens its doors in August. The $2 billion building features 100% frictionless security and hospitality, power in every seat (to both charge phones and enable light shows), and an acre of LED floating above the court. The halo-shaped scoreboard is directly connected to the seats and will serve as the centerpiece of an interactive –and communal– gameday experience.

Clippers owner Steve Ballmer envisions the building helping to reprogram how fans view attending live events.

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There’s nothing currently like Intuit Dome in American sports. But the Inglewood-based venue isn’t Ballmer’s futuristic vision for a sporting arena. It simply features an array of functional tech that collectively will enhance the fan experience (think: ease, comfort, engagement).

The Clippers took inspiration from teams and venues around the globe for the building’s design. The concept for the ‘The Wall’ –51 uninterrupted rows of super fans– came out a visit to San Diego State University (for Kawhi Leonard’s jersey retirement ceremony). Ballmer got a taste of ‘The Show’ and decided to create his own version of the raucous student section at Viejas Arena.

The look/feel of Intuit Dome locker rooms were influenced by a tour of the Grounds at Wimbledon, and the team saw basketball courts for fan use inside venues in Indianapolis (Gainbridge Fieldhouse) and Eugene, Oregon (Matthew Knight Arena). 

Halo-style scoreboards were first seen during trips to Mercedes Benz Stadium and Sofi Stadium. Ballmer envisions the LED screens helping those in attendance become ‘better fans’ (think: offering more context about what is happening in game). 

“And then when it’s a timeout or quarter break, we can let [them] have a little bit more fun by engaging with the board from essentially a four [button] interactive game controller [in the seat armrest],” he said. 

That technology will allow fans to compete –and connect– with one another inside the venue, as opposed to simply watching the screen. The club seeks to build ‘community’ amongst the fan base at its new home. 

Having ‘The Wall’ should help. As will the club’s rejection of social spaces (a popular stadium trend). 

“We have nice places you can go grab food, etc.,” Ballmer said. “But you could say [Intuit Dome’s] orientation is very much to being in your seat and watching the live event.”

The club owner ultimately wants as many fans spending as much time together as possible, ideally they are cheering for the home team.

For that to happen, said fans must make it to the venue first. And traffic is always a problem in Los Angeles.

The Clippers have invested millions of dollars in helping Inglewood replace the hardware and software used to manage the local traffic system. Officials will now be able to control traffic signals from a central location, which should help to eliminate congestion around the venue and cut down on the time needed to get to and out of the arena. 

But not all of Intuit Dome’s fan-focused solutions are tech-enabled. Some, like cutting down on lines at the bathroom, have been solved by simply investing in more toilets and plumbing.

Ballmer has spared no expense in trying to make the live event experience as enjoyable –and easy– for fans as possible. 

“Adjusted for market risk, there are a bunch of other things we could do with the same money that would be much better investments,” he said.

But the former Microsoft CEO isn’t worried about it. His return on capital should still be strong and the Clippers will finally have the homecourt advantage its fans have always desired.

“This building is designed, or we tried to design it, so that it would help us win games. You keep fans in the bowl. You get them there early. They cheer often,” Ballmer said. “I also viewed this as a form of community service to Clipper Nation and the community of Inglewood.”

There was an inherent need to go above and beyond too.

“When you’re in LA or New York, and you’re not that number one team, you have to do more to differentiate yourself,” Ballmer said.

At least if you want to attract the casual fan. 

Intuit Dome will seat 17,500, roughly 2,500 fewer fans than Crypto.com Arena (formerly Staples Center). The team is working to sell as many season tickets as possible.

“We will also have some unique products that we haven’t announced yet but will look like a good value and still be a good business for us,” Ballmer said. 

Existing season ticket holders located closest to the court will likely experience a price increase at the new venue. 

“And people who sit in the upper bowl will find very attractive prices,” Ballmer said. 

There are no comps on suites. The team does not get to sell any as a tenant in its current home. They’ll go for what the market bears. 

If Intuit Dome gets the live event experience right, there won’t be a shortage of fans, or corporate parters, looking to spend their dollars there.

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