Venue News: Eagles Plan $125M Stadium Renovation; 49ers Stadium Construction Resumes After Worker’s Death

Compiled by Karen Hogan, Associate Editor, Sports Video Group

The Philadelphia Eagles are planning to add 1,600 seats and two high-definition video boards as part of a $125 million stadium revitalization project to be completed before the 2014 season. Lincoln Financial Field is undergoing a face-lift just 10 years after it opened in 2003. Other upgrades include murals honoring the franchise’s greatest players, Wi-Fi installation and two bridges and an escalator to provide faster access for fans…

…Employees building a new stadium for the San Francisco 49ers are returning to the job, two days after an elevator mechanic was killed in a workplace accident. The San Jose Mercury News reports the companies building Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara say that more than 1,000 employees will resume work Thursday morning. The stadium is about 40% finished. A veteran elevator mechanic, 63-year-old Donald White, died Tuesday when he was struck by a counterweight while working in a shaft at the stadium…

…The San Francisco 49ers say the team will spend another $100 million to install tech features and “enhance the fan experience” at its new Silicon Valley stadium. Team officials said Friday the 8% spending increase will raise the cost of the Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara to $1.3 billion, about $336 million more than they projected three years ago. Executives say the team decided to increase spending after NFL owners voted to allow the region to host the 50th Super Bowl at Levi’s Stadium in 2016. The San Jose Mercury News reports that sales of luxury boxes, seat licenses and naming rights have already surpassed $1 billion…

…The Rio de Janeiro stadium that will be used for track and field at the 2016 Olympics will remain closed until 2015 because of structural problems with its roof. City authorities said last week it will take nearly 18 months to fix the Joao Havelange Olympic Stadium, known locally as the Engenhao. The stadium, built for the 2007 Pan American Games, has been closed since March 26 after a study showed there was a risk the roof could collapse when exposed to high wind. There had been no timetable on how long it would take to fix the venue until the city presented its own study last Friday. Local Olympic organizers said they remain confident that the city will deliver the stadium in time for the test events planned for the 2016 Games…

…The NBA will test a new advertising program next season that will enable its 30 teams to sell ads in two new spots inside their arenas: on the floor courtside and atop backboards. Teams in the 2013-2014 regular season will be able to sell ads to appear on the courtside apron in front of player benches, although not on the in-bounds area of the court itself, and on top of backboards, said Chris Granger, exec VP-team marketing & business operations at the NBA, confirming a report in Sports Business Journal.