After the Chargers game, most of the remaining Club 124 group went to Crypto.com Arena for the Raptors and the Lakers. But I'm rather tired of basketball and decided to try something different: going to Cosm, the new immersive sports bar where you can watch a game in front of a huge IMAX-like screen. The Lions and Texans were facing off on Sunday Night Football, and as the bar is part of the Hollywood Park complex and a short walk from SoFi Stadium, it was worth trying out, rather than witnessing another Raptors loss.
You can purchase reserved seats with the price varying by event. For example, the upcoming Texans/Cowboys game has seats ranging from $88 to $165 (there are accessible seats for $55). Yes, that is just to get in the venue to watch the game on TV.
Fortunately, there are general admission seats for $22 and there are some open seats, but you need to get there early to secure your spot. Like a sporting event, doors open at a set time, so we had to line up outside for about 30 minutes.
The two pictures above are of the Dome screen, which uses special fixed cameras from the end zones and midfield. It can be a bit tough to see the play at times here, so the regular broadcast screens are superimposed near the top for replays.
On the other side is The Hall (above), a more typical sports bar with multiple screens. All tables here are open but again, these events are popular so you will want to get here early. You are under no obligation to eat or drink and although food is typically priced, drinks are exorbitant. There was no drinks menu, which is always a bad sign, and I only found out when I received my bill ($16 for a 22 oz craft beer). There is also an outdoor seating area with views of SoFi Stadium (below) and the Intuit Dome but there are no screens here. It was also unseasonably cold for Los Angeles so this wasn't an option at night anyway.
Despite the cost, I still think the overall experience is worth it once. I would recommend the GA seats and getting there early to snag an open seat on the third floor of the dome and then stay for a couple of hours. I left at halftime and was back at my hotel in time to watch the Raptors lose 123-103. They also do EPL soccer games on Saturday mornings, and I think hockey might do well with this technology too.
There is also a Cosm in a Dallas suburb and I would expect more to come in other cities. It will be interesting to see if they can gain repeat customers as I feel like the experience would lose its impact with repeated visits.
Best,
Sean
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