Josh Kosman
Appearances
Today, Explained
One year of Sphere
The first thing you need to know about The Sphere in Las Vegas is don't call it that. It's sphere, not the sphere. Lose the the. But everyone calls it The Sphere, so we will too. The Sphere opened just over a year ago. They said it would be the future of entertainment, and some people go and really do feel that way.
Today, Explained
One year of Sphere
But it's funny you say that because I was in Vegas for a weekend where there weren't any concerts. There was just this movie, this sort of, you know, climate documentary made by Darren Aronofsky. And I couldn't find, you know— reviews from movie critics, probably because they couldn't all make it to Vegas, but you could find reviews from people who went to see it and they were scathing reviews.
Today, Explained
One year of Sphere
It did not scream, this is the future of this sphere's business model.
Today, Explained
One year of Sphere
Today, Explain talked to a whole bunch of people about their experiences going to shows at the Sphere, and that is what you're about to hear.
Today, Explained
One year of Sphere
Getting back to the concerts for a second here, it feels like it's the concerts that are really going to excite people. That's true. People travel to Las Vegas to see Adele, to see Katy Perry, to see Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak. They don't travel to Las Vegas to watch a depressing nature documentary. Sorry to keep harping on Darren Aronofsky's poor movie. He's an artist, Sean. He's an artist.
Today, Explained
One year of Sphere
I keep forgetting that. For a while there, the Sphere was in talks to host Beyonce. This is the kind of big ticket item that would bring people to Vegas for, who knows, a year, two years, over and over again to see Queen B. And then it fell apart. And instead, you've got these boomer acts over and over. No disrespect. Love some Eagles songs. Hey.
Today, Explained
One year of Sphere
Is it not working out for Jimmy Dolan to attract younger artists?
Today, Explained
One year of Sphere
Is there a third option here that we haven't discussed? Is there something other than Beyoncé or, let's say, some super successful custom movie that they run on the nights they don't have shows that could keep this place not only, you know, around, but thriving?
Today, Explained
One year of Sphere
We built this legendary venue that you could see from space. Anyway, here's a PowerPoint. Here's IBM.
Today, Explained
One year of Sphere
The sphere was promised to us as the future of entertainment. And I know we've been laughing a little bit here, but... You know, that sounds pretty cool. And when I've seen the thing in person, which I have a few times, it looks pretty cool. And when I see people experiencing it, they seem to be having a great time.
Today, Explained
One year of Sphere
I have a friend who goes to a lot of shows and he went and he said it was the greatest thing he's ever seen, fish at the sphere. But does this feel like the future of entertainment? Or does this feel like IMAX ultimately, which is like a thing people do sometimes when they feel like it, but it hasn't really become the standard even though it's great.
Today, Explained
One year of Sphere
Josh Kosman, New York Post, Pura Vida, thanks to Annie Phillips and Cameron Laws for their help with today's show, which was produced by Amanda Llewellyn, who had a pretty good time at the Sphere when she went this year with her dad. Amanda was edited by Amina Alsadi, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, and mixed by Andrea Christen's daughter and Patrick Boyd. This was Today Explained.
Today, Explained
One year of Sphere
But others, including those of us at Today Explained, are wondering if this whole operation is sustainable. So on the show today, we're going to look back at one year of the sphere. From Bono to Fish to Dead & Co to the Eagles to that documentary that Darren Aronofsky made to the upcoming EDM New Year's Eve rave that they're throwing.
Today, Explained
One year of Sphere
And we're going to ask whether this really could be the future of fun or... Maybe it's just another Las Vegas bust.
Today, Explained
One year of Sphere
That was Alan Rosenthal, Scott Zellner, Scott Wright, and Commander David Llewellyn, and also New York Magazine's Jen Chaney, The Ringer's Katie Baker, and The New Yorker's Nick Palmgarden, who have all written great dispatches from The Sphere. Go read them if you're thinking of going yourself. The Sphere was supposed to be the future of entertainment.
Today, Explained
One year of Sphere
Why they keep booking your dad's favorite bands when we're back on Today Explained.
Today, Explained
One year of Sphere
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Today, Explained
One year of Sphere
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Today, Explained
One year of Sphere
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Today, Explained
One year of Sphere
Josh Cosman's beat is business at the New York Post, which somehow makes him one of the foremost authorities on the sphere in Las Vegas.