Sunday, 9 October 2022 - 12:00 pm (CET/MEZ) Berlin | Author/Destination: North America / Nordamerika Category/Kategorie: General, SportReading Time: 7minutes
MetLife Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium at the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey, 5 mi (8 km) west of New York City. Opened in 2010 to replace Giants Stadium, it serves as the home for the New York Giants and New York Jets of the National Football League (NFL). At an approximate cost of $1.6 billion, it was the most expensive stadium built in the United States at the time of its completion. In 2009, MetLife Stadium was named the “Greenest Stadium” in the NFL by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). In July 2017, MetLife Stadium was named “Venue of the Year” by the Stadium Business Summit. The award is awarded to the world’s best stadium, arena or sports venue, that deserves recognition for an outstanding performance over a 12-month period.
MetLife Stadium is one of only two NFL stadiums shared by two teams. The other, SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, is home to the Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers. Los Angeles’ Crypto.com Arena, which is home to the Clippers and the Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA), is only the third facility to currently house two teams from the same sports league in the United States (the Clippers are expected to move into the Intuit Dome in 2024). Additionally, MetLife Stadium is the third building in the New York metropolitan area to be home to multiple teams from the same sports league, after the Polo Grounds, which was home to the baseball Giants and Yankees from 1913 to 1922, and Shea Stadium, which housed both the Yankees and Mets during the 1974 and 1975 seasons and the Giants and Jets in 1975.
The two teams formed the New Meadowlands Stadium Company, LLC (now MetLife Stadium Company), a 50/50 joint venture, to build and operate the stadium. The two teams leased the parcel of land on which the stadium stands from the NJSEA for a 25-year term, with options to extend it which could eventually reach 97 years. After the 15th year of the lease, and every five years, hence; one of the two teams may opt out of the lease after giving the state 12 months notice. The first such opportunity to opt out will occur in 2025 with a notice date of 2024. There will then be an opportunity to opt out in 2030, 2035, 2040, etc… However, if one team leaves for a new stadium, the other team would have to remain for the remainder of the lease. However, the high cost of building and relocating to a stadium makes it very unlikely. The teams also get parking revenue from the Meadowlands’ western parking lots year round, even when there are no events at the stadium (this would occur when other parts of the Meadowlands host events).
Allianz, a financial services and insurance company based in Munich, Germany, expressed interest in purchasing naming rights to the stadium. The proposal was for a period of up to 30 years, and was estimated to be valued at between $20 million and US$30 million. However, it sparked protests from New York’s Jewish community (the largest outside of Israel) and the Anti-Defamation League, which opposed the move due to close ties in the past between Allianz and the government of Nazi Germany during World War II. Rabbi Jay Rosenbaum, however, secretary general of the North American Board of Rabbis, agreed that although survivors’ sensibilities are understandable, a naming deal is legitimate. “I have found Allianz to be receptive, to be sensitive and a friend of the Jewish people today,” he said. Allianz sponsors the venue that inspired the color-change technology for MetLife Stadium: Allianz Arena in Munich. No agreement was reached and talks between Allianz and the teams ended on September 12, 2008. On June 27, 2011, it was reported that New York City-based insurance company MetLife entered discussions to purchase naming rights to the stadium. The new name, MetLife Stadium, became official when all parties signed a 25-year deal on August 23.
In June 2009, the New Meadowlands Stadium Corporation and the EPA signed a memorandum of understanding that outlines plans to incorporate environmentally-friendly materials and practices into the construction and operation of MetLife Stadium. The agreement includes strategies to reduce air pollution, conserve water, and energy, improve waste management, and reduce the environmental impact of construction. The goal of the agreement is to save the emission of nearly 1.68 million metric tons of carbon dioxide during the stadium’s construction and its first year of operation. Under this agreement, the stadium construction must use around 40,000 tons of recycled steel, recycle 20,000 tons of steel from Giants Stadium, install seating made from recycled plastic and scrap iron, and reduce air pollution from construction vehicles by using cleaner diesel fuel, diesel engine filters, and minimizing engine idle times. Other goals of this agreement include providing mass transit options for fans and replacing traditional concession plates, cups and carries with compostable alternatives. The New Meadowlands Stadium Corporation is to report the progress on its goals to EPA every six months. Based on the reports, the EPA has stated it will quantify the benefits of the venue’s environmental efforts.
