Cirque du Soleil partners with NFL to build exhibit in Times Square

NEW YORK – Although it may be best-known for acrobatic circus shows, Cirque du Soleil is venturing into the sports entertainment market.

On Thursday, the Quebec-based company announced it is partnering with the National Football League to build a 3,716-square-metre interactive exhibit in New York’s Times Square.

The four-storey NFL-themed attraction will include a 350-seat theatre, interactive kiosks and multimedia shows.

Cirque du Soleil CEO Daniel Lamarre said the partnership represents “almost the creation of a new division” for the Montreal-based company, which is no stranger to the sports world.

The Cirque has previously been involved in two Super Bowls, one NBA event and the opening ceremonies of the Pan Am Games in Toronto.

“People also tend to forget that most of our performers are former Olympic athletes,” Lamarre told a news conference in New York. “They’re great athletes, and that’s why we think there’s a natural link between our two organizations.”

He added the exhibit will let fans experience what it’s like to be in the locker room or “walk into that stadium” with the players.

NFL chief marketing officer Dawn Hudson said avid sports fans are increasingly looking to experience football in more ways, be it fan festivals, draft events or multimedia elements.

She said the Times Square exhibit will include educational programming and interactive exhibits that could let fans test their running speed against that of pro players or try their hand at officiating.

She said the league is also hoping to recruit some new young fans from the millions of families that visit Times Square every year.

“If you’re a kid just starting to experience football, what a great way to go into the theatre and be surrounded, to get a flyover and feel the excitement of what it’s like to go to a game,” she said.

The exhibit hopes to draw about a million visitors a year once it opens in November 2017.