Italian football giants AC Milan have launched pitchside seating for VIP ticket holders and fans. The move is inspired by the NBA courtside seating, which is a big premium ticket in the world of Sports and Entertainment. The LA Lakers brought out Hollywood superstars in the 1980s, adding to the appeal of their style of basketball at the time, known as ‘Showtime’. The Barclays Arena and Madison Square Garden in New York, home of the Brooklyn Nets and New York Knicks respectively, often have musicians, actors, and other types of ‘A’ list personalities courtside throughout the season. Increasingly, we are seeing global football stars positioned on courtside to see the current stars of the NBA up close.
AC Milan showcased the seating with Italian rap artists Ghali and Blanco among the guests for the opening last Thursday evening for the Europa League fixture against Roma. The pitchside seats are situated between the Home and Away dugouts at the San Siro, and guests are able to have the closest view entering and leaving the pitch. Along with padded seats, there is also a concierge available at your service for what’s being labelled as the best seats in the house.
Personally, the up-close view is not the one I would prefer to pay a premium for, but for celebrities, it represents a great opportunity to be visible and more connected with the players and the game. I can see this being a big hit, but whether it will catch on may depend on if other teams can make the necessary modifications and adjustments to make the pitchside experience worthwhile. Whoever occupies that central pitch area as a spectator at AC Milan probably does not want to move for the refurbishments, but if there is demand, then they may have to accept change.
When Football GOAT Lionel Messi moved to Inter Miami, we saw the pitchside experience being absorbed by Kim Kardashian, Lebron James and Serena Williams, as well as a host of celebrities in Miami.
I can see PSG, Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Bayern Munich taking notes as fellow European giants. The stadiums are good enough, although the Camp Nou needs a rebuild, and timing could be an issue. The newer stadiums in the Premier League should be able to adapt as well, but moving forward, I can see any new stadium designs catering for this VIP pitchside seating. Indeed, the Etihad has a similar experience called the tunnel club as a premium hospitality package, and other Premier League clubs will look at AC Milan’s new innovation to leverage their hospitality experiences.
What do you think of AC Milan’s pitchside experience? Would you be interested in seeing something like this at your club, or would you rather the experience of sitting in the executive box? Leave a comment below.
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