American entertainment company controlled by the Dolan family. It owns the Sphere, a monumental orb-shaped attraction in Las Vegas with an 18,000-seat arena and a 15,000-square-metre screen. The company also owns a declining TV business. The Sphere opened in September 2023 at a cost of $2.3bn, nearly double the original estimate.
After steep initial operating losses, the attraction turned a corner: by late 2025 revenue was growing sharply and operating losses had nearly vanished.
"The Wizard of Oz", an 86-year-old film remastered for the giant screen with AI and "4D" effects such as vibrating seats, has been the Sphere's breakout hit. It sold more than 2.2m tickets and generated $290m in revenue from its opening in August 2025. The Sphere put on 245 screenings in its latest quarter, up from 190 performances of other shows a year earlier. Remastering "Oz" cost more than $100m. The Sphere has also hosted live concerts by the Eagles and the Backstreet Boys, among others.
A proposed Sphere in Abu Dhabi is nearing the end of its pre-construction phase, funded entirely by the Abu Dhabi department of culture and tourism, which will pay a franchise fee and royalties. A third Sphere, in National Harbor near Washington, DC, is due to open within four years, backed by $200m in public and private contributions. The National Harbor Sphere will have a third of the capacity of the Las Vegas attraction and reportedly aims to come in at less than half the cost. Curry Baker of Guggenheim Partners expects another Sphere to be announced in 2026 and one or two more in 2027.
Two years before the article's publication, the mayor of London rejected a proposed Sphere in the densely populated neighbourhood of Stratford, citing worries about light pollution.
Everyone complains of his memory, no one of his judgement.