INGLEWOOD - On a sleepy, 72-degree Sunday lies a space within walking distance of SoFi Stadium, home of the NFL's Los Angeles Rams and Chargers.
Around this space emanates a low murmur coming from fans wearing light blue and dark blue jerseys - the colors of Manchester City and Chelsea . Though London is on the other side of the world, they, essentially, have seats at Stamford Bridge to watch their favorite teams clash, courtesy of Cosm Los Angeles .
I arrived at Cosm 20 minutes before the scheduled 8:30 a.m. PT kickoff. Walking through the door, I am greeted by a facade similar to a modern sports bar.
Almost immediately, however, I am forced to swallow my initial thoughts . Turning to my left, there are seats and booths, facing a massive array of LED screens, with some tuned to Man City and Chelsea's clash while others display other live sports, known as the "Hall."
On the other side of the booths is another, smaller LED screen showcasing the day's matchup. And while these displays are impressive in their own right, the most eye-catching aspect of the space was yet to come.
Instructed to go up the escalators, I arrive at a quasi-crossroads. To my left, I see a space with more seats and booths overlooking the array of LED screens, behind me are escalators leading to the space known as the "Deck," - which features more seats and booths, along with a view of the surrounding skyline - and directly in front of me are black curtains, with a lounge with a bar and additional seating.
As I walk through, I am greeted by the main attraction: The "Dome." It is a massive 87-foot LED screen, displaying all the pre-game action. Around me are booths and seats with anxious fans donning their jerseys, hoping to see their side prevail on this Sunday.
Being escorted to my booth, servers carrying beverages, burritos, burgers, and popcorn, among other food items, scurry past me, ensuring they reach their intended destination. Sitting down, I finally get a sense of the scale of the screen: At the very top of the "Dome" - i.e. the ceiling - are two screens showing live feeds of the game from the broadcaster, along with the score, time and banners of the teams playing .
More seats are directly in front of me, with a further downstairs area below me filled with chairs and tables. To say the experience was interesting is an understatement; It could be best described as "futuristic."
And while the display is impressive in its own right, Cosm believes at the center of the experience is what is known as "shared reality." Simply put, it is the "convergence" of the digital and physical experience combined and "captures the raw emotion and energy of the performance on the screen" and acts as a way for the audience at hand to enjoy the performance together, making it a collective experience.
Take City's 2-0 win over Chelsea , for example. Though fans knew they were seated in a booth or on a stool, the camera angles were deployed in such a way that there were moments when the camera would switch its feed to the stands, essentially putting fans next to others at Stamford Bridge , despite being thousands of miles away.
Whenever a shot sailed over the crossbar or a rough tackle was observed, fans rose out of their seats to show their displeasure, much as if they were in the stands themselves. Humorously, when a ball boy retrieved an errant ball that wandered into the box, the crowd gleefully exalted, with many clapping to show appreciation to the boy thousands of miles away.
While the "Dome" provided an almost one-to-one feeling of being at the game, the immersion is enhanced by the fact that play-by-play commentary can be heard throughout the game. Additionally, there are moments when a smaller screen will appear, showcasing a play of interest.
Those experiences are what Cosm is trying to convey to consumers, as explained by Mazen Alawar, the Head of Marketing and Communications at Cosm. "We think things like sports, entertainment, everything fanhood is best enjoyed together," Alawar said to Mirror U.S. Sports , recalling a time when a fan celebrated with him as they watched the Copa America.
"That's what makes it special. You know, I told you the anecdote of the goal getting scored and the stranger hugging me - that's never going to happen in VR, right? And so, that's why we concentrate on 'shared reality,' which is that convergence of digital and physical."
Although the entire space is comprised of the "Dome," the "Hall" and "Deck," with the 87-foot screen being the main attraction, Alawar believes having different areas allows fans to enjoy what they want to enjoy, when they want to enjoy it, so as to not be oversaturated by one item. "We want people to have a reason to come back and again and again and a little bit of choose your adventure," Alawar continued.
It must be noted that each event will cost consumers are specific price. For instance, Sunday's Premier League action ranged from $11 to $83, depending on the ticket purchased, which is more affordable than flying to the UK, buying a ticket, and watching the game in person. Those monetary decisions that fans have to account for are one of the driving factors for Cosm's mission of "shared reality."
"It's taking great elements of each and trying to level it up. I think you saw from the furniture, from the service, it's quite elevated because we wanted it to be an accessible luxury for a consumer in a world where it's harder and harder to get that. ... We want you to feel like you can have that special thing at an accessible point and it's the sort of thing where you'd be comfortable and you want to come back to again and again."
With this in mind, Alawar believes Cosm is not the venue of the future. Rather it is the present of sports entertainment as more fans are introduced to what the space has to offer. "When TV came online, all of that really transformed the fan experience," he continued.
"We're not the venue of the future. We're the venue of now and we will stay the venue of now for decades to come."
Cosm certainly is next level and an experience to be tried, especially considering it is the first of its kind in Los Angeles. And while the concept is new, it is attractive enough to shake up the sports entertainment landscape moving forward.
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