Inside 25 Years of Stadium Tech: Steve Serfling on Building Soccer Venues That Feel Like Millions

Steve Serfling has spent 25 years wiring the fan experience inside US Bank Stadium, Little Caesars Arena, the LA Memorial Coliseum, and venues across the NFL, NHL, MLB, NBA, and NCAA. Now the founder of Delta Sports Consulting is bringing that playbook to soccer.

In this episode, Steve and host Kareem Rae break down how USL and MLS NEXT Pro ownership groups can deliver a premium matchday without a premium budget: sharing systems instead of building them in silos, getting infrastructure right before breaking ground, starting every project with the club's vision, and treating the stadium as the cornerstone of a revenue-generating district.

We cover the 2026 World Cup effect, engaging younger fans, mixed-use development, LED and video board investment, and what institutional capital means for venue expectations.

Connect with Steve and Delta Sports Consulting: deltasportsllc.com

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DISCLAIMER: Kareem Rae runs One Soccer Nation (OSN) all views expressed by him and the guests on his podcast are solely their opinions and do not reflect the views of One Soccer Nation. You should not treat any opinion expressed by Kareem or his guests as a specific inducement to make a particular investment or follow a particular strategy, but only as an expression of his personal opinion. This podcast is for informational purposes only.

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Chapters:
00:00 Intro: from major-league venues to soccer
01:09 What Delta Sports Consulting does
02:59 Steve's path: Daktronics to the Carolina Hurricanes
04:22 Advice for students breaking into sports
06:25 Why the 2026 World Cup made now the moment for soccer
08:43 The US vs international opportunity
12:47 What surprised him about soccer venue tech
14:42 Can soccer catch the NFL?
19:01 Superstars, younger fans, and shrinking attention spans
24:44 Mixed-use development and The Battery Atlanta
28:05 Silos vs shared resources inside a venue
34:36 Lessons from the LA Memorial Coliseum renovation
38:13 The first question he asks every ownership group
44:20 The build mistakes clubs keep making
51:05 LED boards, video walls, and where money should go first
55:26 What institutional capital changes for operators
1:00:27 How technology directly drives revenue
1:03:05 How to reach Steve
1:03:38 Rapid-fire round