Aug. 17 (UPI) -- WWE announced plans on Monday to take up residence at the Amway Center in Orlando, transforming the arena into the ThunderDome where fans will appear virtually.
The company says the ThunderDome will feature video boards, pyrotechnics, lasers, graphics and drone cameras to improve the viewing experience at home. WWE has been producing all of its shows from the Performance Center in Orlando due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
WWE will begin airing Raw, SmackDown and pay-per-view events including SummerSlam on Sunday from the Amway Center, starting with Friday's edition of SmackDown. The residency will continue for the foreseeable future.
NXT TakeOver: XXX, a pay-per-view event, will also be filmed at the Amway Center but WWE's weekly NXT program will take place from Full Sail Live in Winter Park, Fla.
Fans will be able to appear via massive LED boards inside the arena. WWE is working on the project in conjunction with The Famous Group and its proprietary technology.
Fans can register on WWE's social media pages starting Monday to be a part of upcoming shows.
"WWE has a long history of producing the greatest live spectacles in sports and entertainment, yet nothing compares to what we are creating with WWE ThunderDome. This structure will enable us to deliver an immersive atmosphere and generate more excitement amongst the millions of fans watching our programming around the world," WWE executive vice president, television production, Kevin Dunn said in a statement.
WWE said all shows will be produced on closed sets with only essential personnel. The company will continue to implement PCR testing for COVID-19, social distancing and the wearing of masks.
