TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The New Taipei CTBC DEA and Taipei Taishin Mars basketball teams are set to make history as the first professional teams to play at the Taipei Dome. The two T1 League teams will compete on April 13 and 14, according to New Taipei CTBC DEA General Manager Liu Chih-Wei.
Liu said the total cost for the two games exceeded NT$10 million, and more than 16,000 tickets had already been sold. He anticipates the attendance will surpass the record set in 2022 when 15,000 fans watched Dwight Howard play for the Taoyuan Leopards (now Taiwan Beer Leopards) at the National Taiwan Sport University Sports Center.
The game floor was transported from the Xinzhuang Gymnasium, while the setup process took one and a half months and involved 300 workers. Liu noted that a significant portion of the cost was for the temporary seating, as the design and construction had to be professionally certified and can only be used once.
Liu said he hopes that the game at the Taipei Dome can bring a new atmosphere to professional teams.
Liu added that the first day's game is already sold out, with an expected attendance that could break the professional basketball record of 15,600. About 200 to 300 tickets are still available for the second day, raising hopes that both games could set new records.