Bridgestone Arena Enhanced Following Fans' Requests

Just when you thought Smashville couldn't get any better, it has. With sales for opening weekend already shattering records well in advance of Opening Night, the anticipation for this season has expanded tenfold from last season's. The biggest Opening Weekend that Bridgestone Arena has ever seen will showcase some of the biggest events this town has ever experienced. With four events and a new electric Preds roster, Opening Weekend has a taste of something for every fan.

Opening Weekend in Smashville is only the start to an elevated season of events that will showcase an upgraded Bridgestone Arena to the best fans in all of sports. Smashville has one-upped themselves from last year's enhancements to provide the best fan experience yet, fully created by the fans and for the fans. The experience will be bigger than ever and more hands-on, proving that any and all fan recommendations are taken seriously - then seriously executed.

"The Nashville Predators are known throughout the league for having the most unique game day experience in all of sports," Nashville Predators President and CEO Sean Henry said. 

"The reason for this, is our fans' incredible passion and the environment they have built inside Bridgestone Arena. It is so much fun to take their passion and translate that into building enhancements to improve upon the game day experience they have created."

Close to $10 million in building enhancements and upgrades to the fan experience took place this summer, and much of what guests will see when entering Bridgestone Arena come directly as a result of carefully considered fan input.

"We are proud of the fact that we are constantly renovating and improving Bridgestone Arena for our fans, players and performers, and have worked hard over the years building off of fan suggestions in order to assist us in the development of a renovation plan," Vice President of Facility Operations Tim Friedenberger said.

"Just about everything we do is based on the suggestions we receive from our guests; everything from seating enhancements, restroom and dressing room upgrades, suite renovations, more points of sale for faster service, enhanced smoking policies that make the experience better for smokers and non-smokers and the list goes on and on," Friedenberger said. "It is really rewarding to see these renovations coming to fruition and the positive feedback we receive from our fans."

The past six years and over $60 million in renovations have all been done to better serve guests entering the arena. These enhancements will be seen from head to toe inside the arena, from the seats fans sit in, to the food, beverages and interactive offerings enjoyed in those seats.

Arena Enhancements

After 20 years of witnessing the most exciting entertainment available, from the most sought after seats available, you can sit back and relax, because those seats have been upgraded. Seating throughout the entire bowl has been reinstalled and was picked out by Preds fans. The installation started last summer and has been completed with more padding and cup holders, ensuring a comfortable seating experience - when you aren't cheering or dancing, of course.

Recoated concrete floors, added ecoglow strips to arena stairs and a new ice cover to enhance "over the ice" events were all completed this summer to improve overall arena safety, comfort and accessibility. Another wave of restrooms was also upgraded to include environmentally-friendly features, added comfort and privacy.

Preds fans attending an event at Bridgestone Arena in the month of October will also experience an exclusive treat. An interactive CMA 50th Anniversary Exhibit, celebrating five decades of the CMA Awards, will be set up inside the NISSAN SoBro Entrance. The exhibit commemorates the first 49 years of Country Music's Biggest Night and will live inside the arena for one month; fans attending the Oct. 18 game vs. Dallas will even be able to take pictures with an actual CMA Award for that night only.

Food and Beverage

Newly expanded suite and concourse food and beverage menus will feature items ranging from classic arena fare to gluten-free and dietary-restricted items. Two of the newest additions fall on opposite ends of that spectrum; Top Dogs, a build-your-own gourmet hotdog stand located in the Main Arena Food Court, will feature signature hotdogs at each game, as well as dogs inspired by that game's opponent; the new Twice Daily, located inside the Nissan SoBro Entrance, will offer gluten-free and dietary restricted items as well as "you top it" soft serve ice cream, soups, sandwiches and over 100 different snacks and bottled beverages.

Along with the above, guests will have a wide range of food and beverage options to choose from. Handcrafted and seasonal dishes, fan favorites and upscale arena classics ensure an option that satisfies every palette. Delaware North Concessions and Levy Restaurants provide only the freshest flavors and mix traditional menu items with unique and event-specific dishes, creating a memorable dining experience at every event.

When enjoying an event from the suites, fans will notice more efficient and attentive service, as Bridgestone Arena is utilizing more suite attendants than ever before. Additionally, the removal of suite service charges will provide a more streamlined process for ordering throughout the event. Incentives will also be presented to order more food and beverage to round out the suite experience.

With fresh finishes and upgraded technology, the recently renovated Patron Platinum Club's sleek modern style of new furniture and Chef's tables complement the updated menu selections by Chef Derek W. Fulton. The Patron Platinum Club is the premium destination for all Nashville Predators games and concerts, where guests can get into the event spirit and enjoy upscale options.

With food, comes beverages, and Smashville has expanded its bar footprints. The Fox Sports Tennessee Bar, located near the AT&T Fan Information Center outside Section 102 has doubled in size to enhance the fan experience, including twice as many service areas and a new back bar with six additional TV's to guarantee you never miss a minute of the game; a Yee-Haw Brewing bar will live outside Section 106/107, and Tito's Bar has been remodeled with new TV's and additional space for eating, drinking and celebrating Preds wins; the Bud Light Fan Zone has been revamped on the Bud Light Level, and to carry your beverages comfortably, whether it be to the Fan Zone or elsewhere, there will be seasonal Koozies available for guests at all beer and bar locations.

Fan Experience

You asked, Smashville delivered. Pulling out all the stops for Bridgestone Arena and Ford Ice Center guests, the fan experience is in the fans' hands and the perks and prizes are endless.

The All-Inclusive Zone has been reenergized and renamed Pete & Terry's, paying tribute to the Broadcast Team that introduced Preds hockey to Smashville, as well as our current broadcasters - some of the best in sports! Artifacts, photography and additional TV's were added to allow fans to experience the Preds rich history and take in more content than ever before.

Fans in Lexus Lounge will enjoy fresh new food offerings, increased access at Section 102 and an Alumni Corner where fans will be able to interact exclusively with former Preds players.

And when you aren't mingling with your favorite Preds alumni, let your top Preds game memories live on through the merchandise worn during those unforgettable plays. The Nashville Predators Team Store will now include authentic game-used merchandise made available to Preds fans before, during and after each game.

All fans entering Bridgestone Arena will experience Smashville's in-game promotions. With over $4 million in prizes for fans on Tuesday nights alone, prizes include ATV's, cars/trucks, luxury watches, CMA experiences and more. This season's game night promotions include:

Dunkin' Tuesdays, where fans will receive a co-branded Dunkin' Donuts and Preds t-shirt with the purchase of two upper or lower bowl tickets
"Guaranteed Win" Scratch-Off Nights when everyone is guaranteed a winner in Smashville thanks to our partners; scratch-off tickets will be distributed upon entry
Team Smashville Nights, with unique giveaway opportunities and discounts for students, alumni, faculty and staff of local schools and sports teams
Subway Student Rush Nights, where all students can purchase an upper or lower bowl ticket for $25 and receive half-off drink specials and Subway coupons
McDonald's Family Packs, which include four Preds tickets, four McDonald's specialty items and $5 in food and beverage credits
Remington "Hometown Hero" Specials for all members of our military, active and retired, Police offices, Firefights and Emergency Responders at twenty-perfect off the single game rate
Twice Daily $15.00 tickets leave no excuses to not come to a game! Fans can access these tickets through the Predators app starting at 10:00 a.m. on game days and will receive a free fountain drink with purchase, redeemable at Twice Daily

Also new for fans this season:

A partnership with Uber, providing all guests a guaranteed safe ride home
All fans will be able to earn SmashCash to use at Bridgestone Arena for tickets, merchandise, food and beverages by simply shopping at their favorite retailers online, see SmashCash.net for details.
An exclusive "Golden Perks" program is now available for Predators partners only, offering special benefits and discounts to Preds games and arena events
The former 501 Club, located on the East side of the Gary Force Acura Level, will be rebranded by corporate partner IntelliCentrics
Last but not least, we will celebrate four goals at home and on the road with Wendy's Score with 4 promotion! When the Preds score 4 or more goals, all fans will receive a free Wendy's Frosty

Season-ticket holders will continue to receive the most exclusive perks and prizes this season, such as five giveaway nights made available only to our Loyal Legion; the first of the five giveaway nights will be season-ticket holder lanyards to carry their "Citizen of Smashville" Passport.

In continuing to thank season-ticket holders, our most passionate fans will be rewarded with reduced food and beverage prices on items such as bottomless popcorn ($5), bottomless soda ($6) and bottled water ($3.50). Season-ticket holders will also be guaranteed all of our arena giveaways, so they never have to miss out on our great giveaway items if they cannot attend a game. Furthermore, ten additional exchange nights will be offered, allowing more games for season-ticket holders to exchange unused tickets for additional tickets to a future game. The perks continue with exclusive Hockey 101 "Chalk Talk" with Preds personalities and coaches, an exclusive skate with Olympic Gold Medalist Scott Hamilton at Ford Ice Center and Gold Preds flags to fly proudly throughout the year.

From your television screens to the arena's Megatron screens, all broadcast-related elements have been upgraded to enhance the fan experience:

All 82 games will be televised, two of which will be nationally broadcast on NBCSN, along with 80 pre-game and post-game shows, with streaming available on the FOX Sports GO app for the first time ever
Additional fan-engaging social media activations will be taking place inside the broadcast and in the arena, allowing fans to control more content than ever before
A new Preds opening video will be unveiled, showcasing rich tradition and highlighting the best roster ever assembled in Smashville
A new user-friendly website and Predators app have launched, and a new Arena app will be coming to fans later this season
All fans will be able to go behind the scenes with Beneath the Ice and Emmy Award nominee Michael Greenberg (NHL Road to the Winter Classic), who will be adding his expertise to the Predators production this season

Smashville expands far beyond Bridgestone Arena's walls and all throughout Tennessee, including Ford Ice Center, where continued outreach and community support will be seen this season through new and existing programs. Outreach to 100 local elementary schools to join in the Preds Fitness challenge offers a physical fitness curriculum while teaching youth the fundamentals of hockey; over $25,000 in scholarship grants are being offered to underprivileged children for opportunities to learn to skate and play hockey through the Learn to Play (LTP), Youth Hockey and G.O.A.L! programs; continued and expanded regional outreach for the "Little Preds" LTP program will offer high-end instruction through Predators Alumni, teaching kids how to play hockey; free Movies in the Park, presented by Bridgestone, was made available to all fans and members of the community this summer; Ford Ice Center will host some of Nashville's most sought-after events, including skates with Olympic Gold medalist Scott Hamilton and the SEC Championship.

Bridgestone Arena is in a state of renovation 365 days a year and we are confident that this will continue to elevate and enhance the fan experience. Continued feedback from our Loyal Legion of fans will ensure that our One Goal, of being the number one sports and entertainment venue in the United States, with our centerpiece being the Stanley Cup Champion Nashville Predators, becomes a reality very soon.