Subaru Park (formerly known as PPL Park and Talen Energy Stadium) is a soccer-specific stadium located in Chester, Pennsylvania, located next to the Commodore Barry Bridge on the waterfront along the Delaware River. The venue is home to the Philadelphia Union of Major League Soccer.
Subaru Park was designed as an initial step for economic development on the waterfront, with additional plans calling for a riverwalk amidst other entertainment, retail, and residential projects. The stadium was constructed by T. +more
Construction
Major League Soccer (MLS) had been interested in entering the Philadelphia market for several years, with many promises of a team by Commissioner Don Garber, as evidenced by his statement, "It's not a matter of if but when Philadelphia gets a team. " Initially, Major League Soccer was interested in a site in the borough of Bristol, about 23 mi north of Center City, Philadelphia. +more
In late 2006, a group of investors led by longtime MLS executive Nick Sakiewicz initiated the planning for a soccer-specific stadium in the city of Chester after the funding for the Rowan project failed to pass the New Jersey legislature. After many months of negotiations, Delaware County politicians announced their approval of funding for the stadium in October 2007. +more
On January 31, 2008, Governor Ed Rendell and Pennsylvania Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi, unveiled a combined soccer stadium and economic revitalization package for the city of Chester. $25 million was allocated to the construction of the stadium, with an additional $7 million towards a two-phase project composed of 186 townhouses, 25 apartments, 335,000 sqft of office space, a 200,000 sqft convention center, more than 20,000 sqft of retail space, and a parking structure to house 1,350 cars. +more
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) worked with the city of Chester to ensure that construction activities did not impact the nearby parking facility which had been the site of the Wade Dump, a previously polluted Superfund site.
Soccer
Construction delays led to the Philadelphia Union's decision to play their inaugural home game at Lincoln Financial Field instead of Subaru Park. Their first match at the stadium was played on June 27, 2010, when they defeated Seattle Sounders FC 3-1. +more
The stadium's record attendance was achieved on December 5th, 2021, for the 2021 Eastern Conference Final when the Union were defeated by New York City FC 2-1 in front of 19,487 fans.
Due to consistently high attendance and ticket sales, in 2011 the Philadelphia Union expressed interest in expanding the capacity of the stadium. The planned expansion would occur in three phases, initially to 20,000, then to 27,000, and finally to approximately 30,000.
Other sports
Rugby union
Collegiate Rugby Championship
Subaru Park hosted the Collegiate Rugby Championship every June between 2011 and 2019. The Collegiate Rugby Championship is the highest profile college rugby competition in the United States, and is broadcast live on NBC every year. +more
United States national team
Subaru Park hosted its first rugby union international on November 9, 2013, when the Maori All Blacks squared off against the United States. A sold-out crowd of 18,500 witnessed a hard-fought match in which the visiting Maori All Blacks won 29-19.
English Premiership
It was announced on May 17, 2017 that English side Newcastle Falcons would play their home Premiership Rugby game against +more
| List of Premiership Rugby - The American Series games | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Date | Television | Home team | Result | Away Team | Tournament | Attendance | Venue |
| 2017-18 | September 16, 2017 | NBC | Newcastle Falcons | 7-29 | +more | Premiership Rugby | 6,271 | Subaru Park |
College football
The first college football game played at Subaru Park was the Battle of the Blue on November 19, 2011, in which Delaware beat Villanova to earn the trophy for the first time. These same two teams met again on November 23, 2013, with Villanova beating Delaware 35-34.
Lacrosse
The stadium hosted two quarterfinal matches in the 2012 NCAA Division I Men's Lacrosse Championship. In 2013, the stadium hosted the Major League Lacrosse's Championship known as the Steinfeld Cup. +more
At the high school level, notable events included the boys' 2015 Inter-Academic League Championship game, between The Haverford School, from Pennsylvania, and The Hun School of New Jersey. The Haverford School won the game, as well as the Inter-Ac title, capping off a perfect 23-0 season.
Ultimate
Major League Ultimate had hosted two of its annual championship games at Subaru Park. The first was on July 19, 2014 when the DC Current defeated the Vancouver Nighthawks 23-17. +more
Drum & bugle corps
Given its ability to be used as a football field, Subaru Park has recently been used as an annual site for the Drum Corps International Summer Competition Tour.
Other soccer uses
The United States Military Academy at West Point, New York, and the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, have played their annual men's soccer rivalry, called the Army-Navy Cup at Subaru Park. The 2012 meeting marked just the third time in the 75-year history of the soccer rivalry that the schools met at a neutral location and was the first regular-season neutral site meeting, with the previous two occurring in the NCAA tournament. +more
After the effects of Hurricane Sandy, the 2012 Big East Men's Soccer Tournament was moved to Subaru Park from Red Bull Arena. Subaru Park served as host again in 2013 for the restructured conference's tournament. +more
The 2013 College Cup was held at Subaru Park; the tournament will return to the venue in 2017. The first set of matches of the 2017 SheBelieves Cup was played at the stadium, in which France beat England and the United States beat Germany.
Features
When the initial architectural drawings were revealed, the stadium was to have been an oval-shaped stadium with a cantilevered roof covering all seating areas - not unlike most European football grounds. After consulting with the nascent club's supporters, the Union's ownership group, Keystone Sports & Entertainment, re-designed a specific entrance for the Sons of Ben supporters group in recognition of their loyalty. +more
In February 2020, as part of Subaru of America becoming the naming rights holder for the stadium, the Union replaced the previous video board above the Chester End with a new 3,440 sqft high dynamic range (HDR) video board that was the first of its kind in an MLS soccer-specific stadium. The LED ribbon boards around the field and seating bowl were also upgraded. +more
Sponsors
On February 25, 2010, the Philadelphia Union announced that the Allentown-based PPL Corporation purchased the naming rights to its home venue for $20 million over 11 years. As part of the deal, PPL EnergyPlus provides the stadium with sustainable energy derived from other sources in Pennsylvania.
The Panasonic Corporation provides broadcast and television production systems, large-screen LED displays, security systems, and point-of-sale systems. The stadium is unique in that no American flag is flown visible to the spectators or participants inside the facility.
On November 30, 2015, Talen Energy assumed naming rights and energy supply of the stadium. Talen Energy spun off as an electricity producer from PPL which in turn concentrated on transmission and distribution aspects.
On February 18, 2020, Subaru of America, whose headquarters are in the Philadelphia suburb Camden, New Jersey, was announced as the new naming rights holder for the stadium.
Awards
In September 2010, Mid-Atlantic Construction Magazine named the stadium the "Sports/Recreation Project of the Year. " The company grants the award to premier construction projects in the Mid-Atlantic region. +more
Concessions
Subaru Park features many of the foods commonly sold at American sports venues, and also offers traditional Philadelphia food items such cheesesteaks, hoagies, and soft pretzels (shaped like the Union's primary logo). Several foods are provided by local companies such as Turkey Hill, Herr's Snacks and Seasons Pizza, while beers from local breweries such as Victory and Dogfish Head are also available.
Transportation
Like the South Philadelphia Sports Complex, the stadium is located near Interstate 95. It is approximately 1 mi from the Chester Transportation Center SEPTA station, where shuttle service is provided from four hours prior to kickoff and from full-time until the park is empty. +more
Sports venues completed in 2010
Buildings and structures in Delaware County, Pennsylvania
Sports venues in the Delaware Valley
Major League Soccer stadiums
Rugby union stadiums in the United States
Soccer venues in Pennsylvania
Legends Football League venues
CONCACAF Gold Cup stadiums
Premier Lacrosse League venues
Ultimate (sport) venues
2010 establishments in Pennsylvania
Latest activity
