Getty Image / Michael Blackshire
The Cosm Los Angeles is all the proof I need to know that we are finally living in the future. Who cares about flying cars or hyperspace travel when we’ve got sports bars that look like this?!
For the start of the 2024-25 Premier League season, the Cosm Los Angeles opened its doors for the Manchester United v. Fulham match where the Red Devils won 1-0 in a match that was more closely contested on the stats sheet than anyone might’ve expected. At the Cosm, fans were treated to a sports bar/viewing experience unlike anything anything ever seen before.
Videos made their way to X, formerly Twitter, from people who were at the Cosm Los Angeles and given that The Sphere in Las Vegas is my only real point of reference for how transformative this experience is, that’s exactly what this looks like to me:
This was the view of Old Trafford from a bar in Los Angeles last night. 🔴
That's insane man. pic.twitter.com/u2ade2EQ5N
— Paul Manc Bald and Bred (@MufcWonItAll2) August 17, 2024
A second video from this futuristic sports bar/viewing experience also went viral:
Here's another view from inside @CosmLosAngeles pic.twitter.com/pVH0W9ZKkF
— Paul Manc Bald and Bred (@MufcWonItAll2) August 17, 2024
On their website, the Cosm Los Angeles describes their experience as “Transporting you to the future of live content. Transforming how you experience it with others. Transcending the limits of what’s possible.”
And to be clear, it is not just a sports bar venue. On their website, they have showings for Cirque du Soleil, nature documentaries, the US Open (tennis), an upcoming Arsenal match, more nature documentaries, and College Football games.
What is The Cosm Los Angeles and how is it so awesome?
This incredible new venue, with locations in LA and Dallas, features a “9,600 square foot, fine pitch LED display that wraps around the audience” in The Dome portion of the venue. The seating is reserved and you have a server for food and beverages. There is also The Hall which offers open seating and a wall-to-wall 150-foot digital display but it’s not as immersive as The Dome.
A comment sentiment on social media in response to these videos is ‘why would you ever go to the game when you can watch this at a bar?’ and ultimately, that’s a matter of preference. I personally prefer watching NFL games at a bar to the in-stadium experience but that’s primarily because I’m a born-and-raised Buccaneers fan and games are a thousand degrees.
Another reason to choose one or the other might be cost. Tickets to the second tier reserved seats in The Dome are for the Arsenal match are currently listed at $83 per ticket for handicap accessible seats, theprices for other seats aren’t listed at the moment. Tier 1 seats are all sold out but Tier 3 tickets are listed at $132/each so I have to assume Tier 2 and Tier 1 tickets are more expensive than that. So that would mean that these tickets are ultimately more expensive than it would cost to get into Old Trafford.
However, for Californians or people in Dallas this is certainly a more affordable experience than hopping on a jet and crossing the pond to catch a game at Old Trafford. They are VERY different experiences, to be sure, and there will be people who prefer one over the other, but this new immersive media experience is an incredible option for people who may not have the means to fly abroad for a game.
To learn more about The Cosm Los Angeles or its Dallas counterpart just hit up their website!