Why does American Dream mall have a new fixation about sports?

American Dream in East Rutherford has entered a realm not typically affiliated with malls — the world of sports.

The 3-million-square-foot Meadowlands megamall has been hosting an array of sports tournaments, watch parties and other events and festivities.

Those activities range from a curling tournament over the winter to watch parties, entertainment, giveaways, video games and a soccer turf field for the Copa America tournament and the recently announced Harlem Globetrotters residency that will take place later this summer.

And then there's the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

“Anything that consumers are interested in or any way to have fun, we’re interested in making it happen,” said Gregg Schwartz, a spokesperson for American Dream.

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The idea of mixing sports, retail, entertainment and even residential is not new, said Victor Matheson, a sports economist at the College of the Holy Cross in Massachusetts.

For example, Gillette Stadium near Boston has Patriot Place, an open-air shopping center built around the stadium.

And in 2019, developers opened Chase Center in San Francisco , a $1.4 billion mixed-use development that includes an 18,000-seat arena, two office buildings, a restaurant, retail space and public plazas.

But “for years, it’s been the opposite,” said Charles Cristella, senior vice president of leasing at the real estate services firm JLL in Trenton. “Stadiums have added malls next to them. Now you’re seeing the opposite — what American Dream is doing.”

Turnout for the Copa America festivities at American Dream was in the thousands, as was the USA curling championships, according to Schwartz, the American Dream spokesperson.

A spokesperson for USA Curling, which hosted the February sports tournament in the East Rutherford mall, said the decision to have the matches at American Dream meant thousands of spectators were able to see competitive curling for the first time.

Redefining malls

For years, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic ushered in a major shift to online shopping, malls have tried to redefine themselves beyond just retail, delving into such areas as entertainment, dining, residential and daily convenience.

Garden State Plaza and Bergen Town Center , both in Paramus, have introduced plans for apartments. Willowbrook Mall in Wayne has a BJ’s Wholesale Club.

American Dream, owned by Canadian developer Triple Five, includes an indoor amusement park with roller coasters, an indoor water park, a 300-foot Ferris wheel, indoor miniature golf and ice skating, and the only year-round indoor ski and snowboard park in North America.

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American Dream also has more than 200 stores — including flagships for Toys R Us and Babies R Us — and over 50 dining options, including fast casual and sit-down.

“A single standalone arena, that’s kind of a walled fortress in the middle of a gigantic field of parking lots, that's something we’re seeing less of in the last couple of decades,” said Matheson, the sports economist. “A standalone mall with Claire's, a Sears on one end and a Bloomingdales on the other — we’re seeing less of that as well.”

'A taste of what's to come'

The Copa America semifinals will be at MetLife Stadium on Tuesday. MetLife is separated from American Dream by a highway, but a pedestrian walkway bridges the two attractions.

Schwartz said that many sports fans and other event attendees at MetLife Stadium have access to discounts and promotions at the mall.

“These are the same fans that are going to come back in 2026, so it’s a taste of what’s to come,” said Schwartz.

During the World Cup in two years, MetLife will feature eight games — including the tournament’s final — in East Rutherford. The tournament is expected to bring as many as 1 million visitors to the region during its five weeks.

Schwartz did not delve into the nature of preparations being conducted by the mall for the 2026 tournament, but he alluded to “numerous activations and events” coming down the pipeline.

For example, with Copa America, the mall has been host to an array of activities thanks to its partnership with the American Spanish-language television network Univision. Those range from video games to a soccer field and live DJ performances.

“The audience are buying tickets to come to the event, they want to do other things and American Dream satisfies that,” said Jim Kirkos, who heads the Meadowlands Chamber of Commerce.

Added Cristella of JLL, at the American Dream “you can see soccer, grab something at H&M and still get a burger.”

Daniel Munoz covers business, consumer affairs, labor and the economy for NorthJersey.com and The Record.

Email: munozd@northjersey.com ; Twitter: @danielmunoz100 and Facebook

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Why does American Dream mall have a new fixation about sports?