They cheered, chanted, hugged and high-fived. Hundreds of devoted Dodger fans watched Monday night’s World Series game from ground-level seats just behind the Yankees’ dugout.
Well, almost.
Their premier perch wasn’t in the Bronx but roughly 3,000 miles away, at Cosm in Inglewood where the immersive experience was remarkably similar to being at the game.
Cosm, situated between SoFi Stadium and the Intuit Dome, features plush stadium seating and a wraparound screen that’s 87 feet in diameter with 12K resolution that gives the just-opened venue the feel of a scaled-down Las Vegas Sphere.
Tickets aren’t cheap at Cosm — the best ones were $434.50 each for Game 3 – but they sold out in about the time it takes Freddie Freeman to round the bases.
“When you’re standing in line you’re like, `Oh my god, is it going to be worth it?’” said Erika Santiago, who arrived five hours before doors opened at 3:30 p.m. “But then you get in here and look at the screen and it’s like you’re at the game.”
A big reason for that is unique camera angles. Cosm has its own production team with the ability to shoot an event from as many as 10 different angles, while also providing the network feed on virtual screens in the corners.
For instance, while an audience of millions watched Freeman’s walk-off grand slam in Game 1 from Fox’s angles, the Cosm crowd experienced it from the Mary Hart seats behind the plate at Dodger Stadium. And their resulting roar might have registered on the Richter scale.
“It was pandemonium,” said Cosm CEO Jeb Terry, a former NFL offensive lineman. “Maybe one of my favorite sports moments of all time. That’s what the experience in here is all about.”
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1. Dodgers fans watch a giant LED screen showing Game 3 of the World Series between the Dodgers and the New York Yankees at Cosm Los Angeles. 2. Dodgers fans cheer while watching Game 3 of the World Series. 3. Dodgers fan Audrey Mier cheers while watching Game 3 of the World Series at Cosm. 4. Fans watch Game 3 of the World Series at Cosm. 5. Dodgers fans watch Game 3 of the World Series at Cosm. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Cosm opened in July and initial programming focused on international soccer matches and UFC fights, followed by U.S. Open tennis and college football. The company’s news this week was a partnership with the NFL that will allow Cosm to send its cameras and production crews to pro football games on Thursday, Sunday and Monday nights, as well as select games on Fox.
Just as the ticket prices vary depending on the event, so does Cosm’s capacity, which ranges from 1,500 to 2,000 people. The venue is spread across three floors and divided into the dome and the hall.
The hall is a massive space on the ground floor featuring a restaurant, bar and an LED screen that stretches from one end to the other and is big enough to show every NFL game at once. Tickets to watch the World Series there are $33 each.
It’s more expensive to access the dome which has three decks and an array of tables, high-top seats and booths, where food and drinks are served. The place feels full but not cramped. Virtually everyone was wearing a Dodger jersey or shirt Monday, although there was an occasional Yankees fan.
Dodgers fans watch giant TV screens showing Game 3 of the World Series between the Dodgers and the New York Yankees at Cosm Los Angeles.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
The first Cosm opened in Los Angeles, soon followed by one in Dallas. A third is under construction in Atlanta and a fourth locale is due to be announced this week.
“We’re not trying to replace the game-day experience,” Terry said. “There’s nothing like going to the actual venue itself. But for those fans that can’t get there, those fans that can’t fly to New York or get the tickets, we can give them another offering where they can still do the things that they know and love. That’s the core of what we’re doing.”
For the crowd Monday night, that included catching T-shirts launched from the bottom level, standing and removing caps for the national anthem, rising and raising arms for a rippling wave.
“It’s like you’re at the game,” said Leslie Montes, standing in the general admission section with her fiancée, Luis Espinoza. “I even saw somebody try to reach for a foul ball.”
Ben Shapiro, a regional sales manager from Lomita, came with a friend to cheer on his beloved Yankees. As the odd fan out, he felt much better about the overall experience than the 4-2 Dodgers victory.
“This is more of a friendly environment and people aren’t ready to start a fight,” he said. “Plus, it’s air-conditioned.”