Cosm Takes World Cup Watch Parties To A Fevered Pitch

High-tech, high-touch Cosm entertainment venues are capitalizing on FIFA fever with an immersive World Cup experience that is as close as you can get to an actual stadium experience without spending thousands on tickets and travel.

The concept addresses a gap in the sports and entertainment market. Live sports are becoming increasingly expensive to attend in person – with late round World Cup tickets selling for up to $8,000 on secondary markets – and home viewing is convenient but lacks the energy and camaraderie of a stadium. Cosm fills the void providing a social experience for fans at a pocket-friendly price point.

The latest Cosm property in Atlanta had its eye on the FIFA goal from the start.

“These large global tent poles are extremely important targets for us,” says Peter Murphy, SVP of Content and Media for Cosm. “While it wasn’t all positive in the springtime, there was a lot of momentum for the World Cup in the U.S. over the last couple years. …We knew the U.S. would be buzzing for the World Cup. For us, it is the perfect type of content.”

Cosm Atlanta officially opened to the public on June 10, which coincided with the 29-point Knicks comeback in Game 4 of the 2026 NBA Finals and just days before Atlanta hosted the city’s first 2026 FIFA World Cup match at Mercedes-Benz Stadium (officially Atlanta Stadium during the tournament) on June 15.

Atlanta was selected to host eight FIFA matches: five group-stage matches, one Round of 32 match, one Round of 16 match and one semifinal on July 15.

“There’s this endemic behavior of soccer fans and FIFA fans to seek out watch parties and Atlanta is a really great example,” explains Murphy. “You can have 20,000 people in Centennial Park, as we have 1,500 people in our venue as there are 70,000 people at Mercedes-Benz watching the actual game. Atlanta has really embraced the sport of soccer.”

Cosm is positioned at the epicenter of the action in Centennial Yards – a $5 billion, 50-acre mixed-use development just steps from Mercedes-Benz Stadium home to the NFL Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United, State Farm Arena home of the NBA Atlanta Hawks and the Georgia World Congress Center. 

FIFA World Cup “was a great programming target for all our venues and Atlanta specifically,” says Murphy. “Candidly, it was a forcing function to get opened on time. It pushed us and our partners along to make sure our doors were opened.”

Cosm Atlanta met the challenge and if it can consistently attract fans for live sports, films, special events and eventually concerts, like The Sphere in Las Vegas it has the potential to establish a new category of destination entertainment.

The signature concept is called “Shared Reality.” Instead of wearing virtual reality headsets, hundreds of people watch events together beneath a massive wraparound LED Dome. The display fills much of your field of vision, creating the sensation that you’re sitting courtside at an NBA game, behind home plate at an MLB game, or midfield for a soccer match.

Front row access is due in large part to Cosm’s partners including ties to Fox Sports. Cosm CEO and President Jeb Terry served as Vice President of Emerging Technology at Fox Sports and spearheaded multi-platform activations across major events including the Super Bowl, UFC fights, the NBA World Series and FIFA World Cup.

“FIFA has been a really supportive partner,” says Murphy, who worked at Fox Sports during the 2018 World Cup. “They view the need for innovation, and we check that box for them.”

The technology includes the giant Dome, which is up to 87 feet across, extremely high-resolution imagery (Cosm describes it as 12K-class dome technology), specialized camera systems positioned at live events, spatial audio and food and beverage service delivered to your seat.

From the second level, the experience feels like what you would find in a club level box or suite. People in team jerseys react as if they are in the stands. You can hear the kick of the ball and there are no lines for the bathrooms. You get crowd reactions in a social atmosphere that is comfortable and carefully curated.

“The hardest part of Cosm is you can’t really explain it to someone until they’ve been, and the greatest thing is you can’t really explain to someone until they’ve been,” chuckles Murphy. “I say this humbly as someone that’s been here for six years, no one has ever been disappointed by the experience – no matter how hyped it is – because it is so new and enticing.”

Patrons can watch what they want to watch, and not settle for the shots selected by a broadcast producer from a truck. Like watching a game in a stadium, fans write their own narrative. They decide where to look – whether that’s a favorite player on the pitch or a fan in the stands reacting to a call. It feels personal.

“It’s really about being there,” says Murphy. “That’s what it’s truly like – you are telling your own story.”

And it’s interactive. During a recent match from Mexico City Stadium (Estadio Azteca) fans were doing the wave in the stands. Cosm’s corner cam caught the action and as the human wave approached, Cosm fans went hands up right alongside fans in Mexico.

“The entire Cosm venue participated in the wave as if they were in Azteca,” says Murphy. “It was timed perfectly.”

With of goal of programming more music in the future, current content includes live NBA, NHL, UFC, college sports, soccer, tennis, golf and other events including a special film presentation adapted specifically for the Dome of “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” with fans showing up in Hogwarts’ house robes.

“We know that fans exist and they self-select and they want to experience and celebrate that fandom,” offers Murphy. “And Cosm allows for that.”

Cosm has three locations: Los Angeles in Hollywood Park next to SoFi Stadium; 25 miles outside Dallas at The Colony in the Grandscape district; and Atlanta. Additional venues are under development in Detroit, which opens later this year, and Cleveland. Selecting the right development partners and markets with strong fanbases is a factor. Cosm has signaled broader U.S. and international expansion.

Longterm success will likely depend on securing exclusive sports and entertainment content and keeping the venues busy outside of marquee events.

Each location typically has three areas: The Dome – the premium immersive experience; The Hall – a large social viewing area with traditional screens and dining; and The Deck – an outdoor gathering space.

While it is less expensive than comparable stadium tickets, premium seating can be expensive; food and drinks are priced like those at major sports venue and general admission, which is very affordable, may require arriving early for the best views.

The experience varies depending on where you are seated. Level 2 VIP booths are generally considered the best viewing experience because of their panoramic view of the immersive Dome. For example, if you’re splitting the cost, a four-person booth costing $520 would be $130 per person.

“The key part of our ethos is that we want to have some products that are very approachable,” says Murphy. “So, when you come to a Cosm event whether that’s the World Cup of the Super Bowl, of course we will price our best seats based on demand however we have a Hall with a great product offering, we have a GA product if folks come in and get there early. For as little as $10 they can get into the building and there are GA specific locations where you get to experience all the pageantry and energy.”

Murphy says fans are sampling the venue with a GA ticket and coming back often at a higher price point.

“They’ll be blown away and for the next event they’ll purchase a Dome seat,” says Murphy. “They know that it’s worth the premium. That’s part of the strategy.”

Investors appear to believe immersive venues could become a significant new entertainment category. In June, Sony Pictures Entertainment invested $100 million in Cosm to help expand its immersive entertainment offerings. Sony’s investment is significant because it goes beyond financing. Sony plans to collaborate with Cosm immersive adaptations of its film, television and potentially gaming and anime properties, and Sony Pictures CEO Ravi Ahuja joined Cosm’s board as part of the investment.