Stephen Ross, owner of the Miami Dolphins, isn't sure whether fans will be in the seats at Hard Rock Stadium for the 2020 NFL season amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. But the Dolphins are ensuring at least some people will visit their home turf in the near future, announcing Tuesday plans to open a pair of entertainment venues, including a drive-in theater, at the 65,000-seat Miami Gardens complex.
With all Florida counties now engaged in plans to reopen public facilities, Hard Rock Stadium "will now feature both an open-air and drive-in theater" for "family-friendly experiences ... in accordance with social distance policies," the venue said. Up to 230 cars will be allowed inside of the stadium for drive-in showings, while small groups will be permitted to host open-air viewings on the complex's south plaza. Best of all: The stadium drive-in will show not only classic movies and other events but select Dolphins games from the team's 54-year history.
This comes in the wake of a boom in drive-in movie theater business, which has seemingly capitalized on some of the lost revenue of standard cinemas -- almost all of which are shuttered because of restrictions stemming from the pandemic.
It's unclear if it's also a sign that the Dolphins themselves could eventually play in front of crowds this season. Addressing questions about the 2020 season on CNBC, Ross said the team is currently planning to have fans at Hard Rock Stadium, which hosted the Super Bowl in February, but noted the league is prepared to be "very flexible" in order to start its schedule on time.
