The Brisbane Broncos are closing in on having their spiritual home of Suncorp Stadium upgraded in a bid to have the leading facilities in time for the 2032 Olympic Games.
The drive is to have the Queensland fans have the greatest sporting experience in Australia, with the Broncos fans showing outstanding crowd attendance in their 50,000 capacity venue.
The club doesn't want Suncorp to be left behind amidst having the greatest athletes in the world travel to Brisbane for the Olympic Games.
The upgrade isn't necessarily to increase capacity numbers, but more to up-scaling the viewing experience, extended facilities, and technological replacements.
The Daily Telegraph is reporting that the state government is on board with the upgrade, and the Broncos have commenced negotiations with Legends Global, the stadium operation business, to strike a deal.
“We want to invest in the stadium to secure its long-term future,” Broncos CEO Dave Donaghy said.
“It's really important for our members, fans and players to have a high-quality venue.
“We understand some of the budgetary challenges that come with investing into an Olympic Games, but we don't want to see Suncorp left behind.
“We have had preliminary discussions with Legends Global and Harvey Lister (CEO/Chairman) about those opportunities.
“We are looking forward to discussing that further with the government when they're in a position to do so.”
One of the driving factors for choosing not to opt for increasing capacity numbers is the disruption it would cause the Broncos, forcing them to move their home games to another ground.
With 'the cauldron' holding such a powerful advantage for the Broncos, they are choosing to upgrade the game-day experience in different ways.
With the likes of Allianz Stadium and CommBank Stadium paving the way for elevated experiences for NRL fans, the Broncos want Suncorp to join these current benchmarks within Australia.
Donaghy wants the Broncos to be on par with some of the best facilities on an international scale and expressed the importance of contemporary technologies.
“When you go to the US, Europe and Asia you see the advancement of modern technology and fan experience has rapidly accelerated,” he said.
“The biggest franchises in the world play at rectangular arenas and if we want to continue to provide that world-class experience and attract big events then getting Suncorp back on the table is important.
“We are looking at ways to partner and play a role in creating a great experience for our fans. Suncorp has always been our spiritual home and we hope it will stay that way for a long time to come.
“Our average crowds last year were just under 42,000 and by later this year they'll hopefully be around 45,000.
“We want to put our fans at the centre of the experience. We want to invest in the atmosphere and our football programs to provide entertainment on an off the field.
“We all understand the importance and significance of the Olympics infrastructure but we can't lose sight of the importance of Suncorp and rectangular sports to this city and state.
“The Premier follows through on what he says and we are really looking forward to re-engaging in those conversations and delivering a great outcome for Broncos and rugby league fans.”
With the last upgrade taking place 20 years ago, the Broncos deem it fit to explore options, with 100,000 fans expected to flood Suncorp over the next fortnight.
With membership skyrocketing over the past five years, from 34,000 members in 2022 to almost 70,000 in 2026, it is now the time to capitalise on the expanding market.
It starts with a cross-town derby against the Redcliffe-based Dolphins on Friday night.
