Category: Superdome

Saints share must-see drone tour video of renovated Caesars Superdome

The New Orleans Saints shared a must-see drone tour video of the renovated Caesars Superdome. The home of Super Bowl LIX looks sharp:

https://twitter.com/Saints/status/1831064237051199681

This is too cool. A ton of time and money have been invested in renovating the Caesars Superdome ahead of the 2024 season and Super Bowl LIX, and you can tell. The New Orleans Saints shared an impressive drone camera video highlighting all of the new changes, and it’s well worth a watch. You can find it here.

You get a good look at the upgraded concourses, improved stadium seating, and open-air atriums as well as areas that aren’t public-facing like the locker room, media conference room, and other spaces behind the scenes. Using an aerial drone to cover almost every inch of the arena was a great choice.

And this overhaul was intended to extend the longevity of the venue; time will tell if that approach works out, but it’s easy to walk away from this tour feeling impressed. The Saints have played home games at the Superdome since 1975, with New Orleans hosting ten Super Bowls — soon tying the Miami’s record with eleven. While the Chicago Bears and Buffalo Bills each have plans in the works for new stadiums, the Saints will trail only the Kansas City Chiefs (at Arrowhead Stadium since 1972) and Green Bay Packers (at Lambeu Field since 1957) as playing at the most-venerable homefields around the NFL in the near future.

With big events on the horizon including nine Saints home games, the Super Bowl, college football bowl games and major musician tours, we should expect the Caesars Superdome to continue to play host to high-profile events for years to come.

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Caesars Superdome renovations include upgraded Wi-Fi, cell service

Hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent on renovations for the Caesars Superdome. One point of emphasis? Upgraded Wi-Fi and cellular service:

New Orleans Saints fans will soon get their first up-close look at extensive renovations to the Caesars Superdome, which has seen $560 million in work to upgrade the venue’s facilities over the last few years.

While this work has touched all aspects at the stadium from new field-level suites to improved concessions offerings, more-spacious atriums and concourses and smoother crowd movement, today we’re getting a look at the infrastructure behind cell service and Wi-Fi Internet access. Anyone who futilely tried to call their ride while navigating the crowded, sloping concrete ramps that mazed through the Superdome before knows that struggle.

“The usage of technology by our fans as part of their gameday experience and their demands will continue to increase,” Team president Dennis Lauscha told the Saints website. “It is important to provide the strongest and most reliable connectivity for our fans as possible with the Caesars Superdome transformation project. With these upgrades, we will offer a guest experience that features the most effective wireless technology available.”

An array of 16 new MatSing MS-48H180 antennas has been bolted to the Superdome roof and painted black to avoid standing out to the naked eye; each weighs about 600 pounds and is rated for hurricane-force winds. A matching set was installed to the building’s interior, complimenting the 200 extant antennas, creating a mesh that is expected to improve cellular service as the Saints’ season continues. The setup is designed for “high-density environments” and can be tweaked by engineers as they gather data on how and where the heaviest usage occurs.

Improving cell phone service is just part of the project. Making wireless Internet access more convenient is part of their ambitions, too. The Superdome has added 2,500 new Wi-Fi access points all throughout the venue to creative more comprehensive coverage for fans, media, and the teams themselves. Keeping people connected with reliable service is a major boon.

So these are big steps in the right direction — towards a goal of keeping the Caesars Superdome in its place as a world-class venue for sports and entertainment. The goal is to continue hosting Super Bowls (including this year’s championship game), ambitious tours by superstar musicians like Beyonce and Taylor Swift, and major events like Wrestlemania, Monster Jam, and the NCAA basketball tournament, just to name a few. These upgrades help ensure greater longevity for the Superdome and avoid a costly new stadium construction. Hopefully the Saints and the Superdome officials can get a deal pushed across the finish line to keep the team playing there for the decades ahead.

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Saints agree to 5-year extension with Superdome through 2030

The New Orleans Saints agreed to 5-year extension with the Caesars Superdome; their lease now runs through 2030:

The New Orleans Saints are staying in the Caesars Superdome for at least five more years, as they recently reached an agreement with the state of Louisiana to extend their lease, per Nick Underhill of NewOrleans.Football.

The current lease now lasts until 2030, when they will need another deal. The Superdome has been the home of the Saints since it opened in 1975. Along with Saints football games, it hosts numerous other big events, making it important to the city of New Orleans.

The Super Bowl will be played for the seventh time at the Superdome in 2025. It has also been the home to three different LSU football championships. With other pro sports franchises relocating from well-established markets and experiencing instability, it’s good to see the Saints staying in New Orleans for the foreseeable future.

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The Athletic ranks Caesars Superdome as bottom-10 NFL venue

The Caesars Superdome was listed among the worst NFL venues by The Athletic, though extensive renovations could help boost its reputation | @crissy_froyd

When The Athletic recently released its list of best and worst NFL venues, the Caesars Superdome in which the New Orleans Saints play their home games did not exactly receive rave reviews.

In fact, the outlet had it listed in the bottom 10. The Minnesota Vikings’ U.S. Bank Stadium sat atop the list three years ago and found itself there once again at No. 1 ahead of the 2023 season.

The Athletic’s Larry Holder commended the overall atmosphere of The Dome, but also found it to be lacking in some areas.

“The Caesars Superdome gets to host Super Bowls because it’s in New Orleans, not because of the facility,” Larry Holder wrote. “It’s one of the older venues to house an NFL franchise having opened its doors in 1975. The Dome atmosphere can pack a punch when the Saints are rolling. But the building certainly feels old with zero chance of a new facility anytime soon. Plus you’d expect better cuisine inside the Dome for a city known for its dining (although it’s known for excellent Bloody Marys). That said, the Dome is on the back nine of a significant renovation that should be complete by the time the Dome hosts Super Bowl LIX on Feb. 9, 2025.”

Just how improved the Saints’ stadium will be by the start of the 2025 season should be interesting to see, as will be where it ranks on their list after the renovations are complete.

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WATCH: Saints release video highlighting upgrades to Caesars Superdome

The New Orleans Saints released a video highlighting upgrades to the Caesars Superdome, many of which fans can expect for the 2023 season:

New Orleans Saints fans can expect some exciting changes and upgrades when they step into the Caesars Superdome this year. With the first Saints preseason game just three weeks away, the team released a video highlighting the work done at their home stadium this summer.

Fans should look out for a new 40-yard-long cocktail bar on the 100 level as well as spacious atriums at Gates B and H. There is a new array of concessions options as well, including grab-and-go sections and new dishes. And it’s all tied together with a system of escalators and wider concourses to ease traffic flow as fans make their way to their seats.

It isn’t finished yet — construction will continue into the 2024 offseason as the facility is modernized to endure another half-century of memories at Saints games and historic Super Bowl matchups. Stay tuned for more details.

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NOFD responds to early-morning construction fire at Caesars Superdome

The New Orleans Fire Department responded to an early-morning construction fire at the Caesars Superdome, reporting no injuries:

Thank goodness this wasn’t more serious. The New Orleans Fire Department extinguished an early-morning construction fire at the Caesars Superdome on Wednesday, reporting no injuries and no damage to any public areas within the stadium. Arena officials characterized the situation as a “minor smoke incident” to FOX 8’s Andrés Fuentes.

WDSU’s Fletcher Mackel shared a statement from Caesars Superdome officials which said two security workers were being evaluated for smoke inhalation, but that the NOFD “deemed the building safe for occupancy” and that scheduled events will continue as planned. That includes the Saints’ regular season finale with the Carolina Panthers on Jan. 8.

This is the second time in as many years that a fire has broken out at the Caesars Superdome after equipment used to clean the structure’s roof caught aflame back in Sept. 2021, with one worker needing medical attention. We’re fortunate these incidents haven’t been worse.

Extensive renovations are ongoing to modernize the Caesars Superdome’s interior and improve the guest experience, including a new system of escalators to ease traffic flow and updated concessions options, plus upgraded restroom facilities, among other changes. That work is on track to be completed in 2024, ahead of the 2025 Super Bowl to be hosted in New Orleans.

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Caesars Superdome roof catches fire amid pressure washing

Caesars Superdome roof catches fire amid pressure washing:

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This is bad. The New Orleans Fire Department responded to a two-alarm fire at the Caesars Superdome on Tuesday after the stadium’s roof caught fire. Work crews were already on the roof with pressure washers, preparing it to be repainted before the next New Orleans Saints home game on Oct. 3. No cause was immediately available nor were any injuries reported. Hopefully everyone working on the roof remained safe.

Photos and video were shared widely on social media before the fire was quickly put out once emergency responders arrived:

Saints announce Caesar’s Superdome partnership, share new renderings

New Orleans Saints announce Caesar’s Superdome partnership, share new renderings of upgrades and renovations:

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There it is: after receiving state legislature approval last week, the New Orleans Saints have announced their new 20-year naming-rights contract with Caesar’s Entertainment to rename their home venue as the Caesar’s Superdome. The Times-Picayune | Advocate’s Amie Just reports the contract with the Nevada-based casino operator is valued at $138 million, which the team has pledged will be put towards improvements and renovations.

It’s a big change for the Superdome, which was previously named the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, dating back to 2011. But the German automaker’s sponsorship of Atlanta United FC’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium, which the soccer club also shares with the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons, created an awkward conflict. So now both the dirty birds and the black and gold have unique titling for their arenas.

And it couldn’t come at a better time. Caesar’s Superdome is in the middle of ongoing renovations to add field-level end zone seating and behind-the-scenes improvements, with New Orleans’ next Super Bowl on the horizon in 2025. That presents a great opportunity for the new sponsor and upgraded facilities to settle in before going under the spotlight.

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‘The Caesars Superdome’ naming-rights sponsorship approved

The New Orleans Saints will officially host NFL games at “The Caesars Superdome” for years to come:

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There it is: the New Orelans Saints’ home venue will now be named “The Caesars Superdome” for the next 20 years, replacing the “Mercedes-Benz Superdome” title it has held since 2011. Reports from Thursday’s meeting with the Louisiana state legislature’s Joint Budget Committee state that while the Saints will receive 100% of profits from the deal, the team has pledged to put them towards Superdome renovations and upgrades.

The Mercedes-Benz signage was removed last week when the German automaker’s deal expired, opening the door for a new naming-rights sponsor to step in. And as the Athletic’s Jeff Duncan reported earlier this year, Caesar’s Entertainment, Inc. was the frontrunner to take over.

That’s now official. This is the first stadium sponsorship agreement between an NFL team and a casino partner (when Hard Rock sponsored the Miami Dolphins’ stadium a few years back, it had to be specified that they were doing so in their capacity as hotel resorts, not gambling outfits), so it’s something of a landmark. That’s appropriate with New Orleans’ next Super Bowl scheduled to be hosted in 2025.

The process isn’t finished, though. Lawmakers had some reservations about the proposed renderings of what the Caesars Superdome will look like, with state senator Katrina Jackson correctly pointing out that the two-font look needs some work. Here’s hoping the Superdome graphics team can come up with something cleaner.

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Look: Mercedes-Benz signage removed from Superdome

Look: Mercedes-Benz signage removed from Superdome

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Mercedes-Benz’s sponsorship contract with the Superdome expired on July 15, and the venue’s management team worked promptly to remove the German automobile manufacturer’s signage from the façade. The Times-Picayune | Advocate’s Amie Just and WDSU-New Orleans shared photos from the scene, where work crews were using cranes to unfasten Mercedes-Benz’s lettering along Poydras Street.

The Athletic’s Jeff Duncan reported earlier this summer that Caesar’s Entertainment was the frontrunner to replace Mercedes-Benz as the famed arena’s naming rights sponsor; WDSU confirmed that talks are ongoing, but a Saints spokesman told Just that there is no official deal in place while new partnerships are being explored.

Miami is the only city to host more Super Bowls (11) than New Orleans (10), but no stadium has seen more Super Bowls played on its field than the appropriately-titled Superdome (7). The next NFL title game will return to the Superdome in 2025, and there’s a good chance legendary Saints quarterback Drew Brees could be headlining the broadcast.

In the meantime, we’ll have to hurry up and wait to see which company partners with the Superdome to have its name and logo emblazoned on New Orleans’ skyline.

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