Is the Las Vegas sphere making money?

Jesus Christ. They spelled it wrong! I'm not paying these bastards one dime.

Washington D.C. looks set to get America’s second Sphere

Chart R

Following the huge orb-like arena’s successful start in the entertainment capital of America, the country’s political capital is the next city pondering a Sphere.

The operator of Las Vegas’ Sphere announced on Sunday that it will be developing its second US location at National Harbor in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area, aiming to build its first smaller-scale, 6,000-seat venue. The D.C. arena would add to Sphere Entertainment’s “global network of Spheres,” after the company signed a franchise agreement with the governing body of Abu Dhabi last July to build a Sphere venue in the Middle East.

Though Sphere Entertainment only currently has one namesake location in operation, the company has a lot of seasoned executives in the live entertainment world, having previously managed Madison Square Garden before it got spun off.

Just like the iconic New York venue, the inside of the Sphere functions as a sport and entertainment space that can accommodate up to 20,000 people. Hosting acts including the Backstreet Boys and U2 helped the company rake in some $156 million in the third quarter, up 37% year-on-year.

Rounding up

Tasked with growing its glowing ball business, the company now has an additional revenue stream: the arena’s LED-lined exterior, known as the Exosphere, used for advertising and signage. That, combined with sponsorship and suite license revenue, brought in an additional $11 million last quarter... along with a flurry of light pollution worries.

But even with that boost, the entertainment arena is far from profitable, with operating costs for the company's Sphere division coming in nearly 50% higher than its revenue last quarter.