Oklahoma City, Tuesday, Oct. 25, 2016 – With the first home game of the 2016-17 NBA season on Friday, fans will notice a number of changes designed to improve their game-night experience, the Oklahoma City Thunder announced today.
“Going into our ninth season, we hope fans will see that we are constantly working to improve every aspect of their experience at Thunder games,” said Brian Byrnes, Thunder senior vice president of Sales and Marketing. “Across the board, our staff and partners have met the challenge of giving our fans the best possible experience when they come to Chesapeake Energy Arena.”
Highlights include: a new sound system, new retail partner for the Thunder Shop, improvements to food and beverage offerings throughout the arena, a virtual assistant feature in the Thunder Mobile App and new opportunities for fans across the state to win tickets at the Thunder Rewards Zone.
Sound system – During the offseason, the entire sound system at Chesapeake Energy Arena was upgraded to include cutting-edge technology, placing it among the most customizable systems in U.S. arenas.
- Adaptive array technology allows sound inside the arena to be “steered” with precision. It is the most flexible and controllable sound reinforcement system available.
- The system offers ultra high clarity, achieving a higher quality sound at a lower decibel level.
- This system also has a “self-healing” technology, meaning if one speaker fails, the other speakers in the array adjust automatically to fill the void with minimal effect on the overall sound.
- The Anya adaptive array system features EAW speakers. This is the first permanently installed adaptive array system in an arena.
Thunder Shop – The team also announced a new partnership to offer improved selection and a new look at the Thunder Shop. The Thunder has worked with Legends, a global retail service provider, to begin a series of improvements to the Thunder Shop online and in-store experience for fans.
- The Thunder and Legends partnership seeks to offer fans a wider selection, improved customer service and more fan-friendly pricing on many items.
- Renovations at the Thunder Shop will open up the space to the concourse, allowing fans passing the shop to see more of the offerings available inside.
- Outside the arena, the entrance to the Thunder Shop will be built out to highlight the shop location for fans visiting during regular business hours.
- A new web storefront launched over the summer at okcthunder.com/shop, streamlining the online interface.
- Legends supports merchandise offerings for a broad portfolio in professional sports. They have partnered with the Dallas Cowboys, New York Yankees and several other major-league sports teams, as well as servicing global events such as the Super Bowl and Indy 500.
Food and beverage – A variety of new food and beverage offerings will greet fans throughout the arena, from a chicken and donut sandwich in Love’s Loud City, to new gastropub and taco concepts for spaces on the Cox Club Level; from an updated patio at Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 Club, to a brand-new pizza oven in the Continental Courtside Club.
- Love’s Loud City: New menu items include a chicken and donut sandwich at Savory Strip (Section 322). Following feedback from guests, ice cream has replaced the frozen yogurt offerings in Love’s Loud City and on the main concourse.
- Cox Club Level: Three new concepts include Local GastroPub (Section 209) and 405 Street Tacos (Section 215), which embrace local tastes and restaurant trends to bring new offerings. At Section 201, Thunder Drive Deli and Dogs (formerly Thunder Trail) brings a new menu with a tighter focus on classic arena fare.
- Main concourse: At Section 109, Angie’s Southern Kitchen brings savory Southern-inspired options to the former bakery location. At Red River Bistro and Wild Leaf (Section 110), fans can find high-quality healthy options, including an alkalizing green machine drink.
- Continental Courtside Club: A corner of the Courtside Club has been dedicated to a new pizza oven, firing up a wide variety of brick-oven pizzas to courtside guests – including sweet and savory options.
- Outdoor spaces: At Jack Daniel’s Old No. 7 Club, fans can get the club’s full food and beverage menu at the renovated patio space, which opens 2 1/2 hours before tipoff for fans of all ages. Above the Grand Entrance on the Cox Club Level, the Thunder Deck is open to all ticket holders.
“During a game there is so much excitement on the court, and we really want that excitement to expand into the concessions and dining options. Since so many Thunder fans that attend the games come to the arena several times throughout the season, we are always looking to refresh and expand our menu items. We always aim to represent local flavors and ingredients, and we are proud to be using locally grown produce where possible to support our local vendors.”
- Kaarthik Iyer, SAVOR …; and Joe Guthrie, Levy Restaurants
Thunder Mobile App – To connect with all the in-arena amenities, fans using the Thunder Mobile App can use the new in-arena virtual assistant. The feature, powered by IBM Watson technology, recognizes natural-language queries to help fans find food offerings, facilities and even traffic updates to and from the arena.
Thunder Rewards Zone – An all-digital format for the Thunder Rewards Zone allows fans who win one of the 50 pairs of tickets given away each game to plan ahead, as winners are now notified at least four hours before tipoff.
###