WWE moving to Tropicana Field means that fans will be treated to a stadium show twice a week for at least three months as the company takes over the domed building for a residency.
Opened in March 1990 for a total cost of $130 million at the time, the Tropicana Field has been the home of the Tampa Bay Rays MLB team and also hosted the Tampa Bay Storm of the AFL and Tampa Bay Lightning of the NHL.
With a total capacity of 42,735 seats, allowing fans to watch Raw and Smackdown should not be an issue as the large domed venue will allow plenty of social distancing. The stadium is the only MLB field with a fixed, slanted roof.
Tropicana Field sits around 120 miles away – a two hour drive – from the WWE Performance Center so while it’s farther away than the Amway Center, remaining in relatively close proximity in Florida is a win for the company as many of its stars reside in the state. The Florida Governor also paved the way for stadiums and arenas to operate at full capacity, leaving it up to sports teams and other tenants to manage how much fans they want at each event.
The stadium is owned by the City of St. Petersburg.
