ESPN Wide World of Sports, Orlando FL | Nearby Businesses

• Stadium, Arena and Sports Venue

700 Victory Way
Orlando, FL 34747

Champion Stadium is a 9,500 seat baseball stadium located at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in the Walt Disney World Resort. The stadium was built in 1997. It is the spring training home of the Atlanta Braves and is the home for the Rookie-league GCL Braves. The stadium has a capacity of 9,500 including seating in the berm area. It features four luxury boxes and two open-air party suites.NameChampion Stadium was originally known as Cracker Jack Stadium. When it was first built, Frito-Lay purchased the naming rights to the venue for ten years and put its Cracker Jack brand on the stadium. Frito-Lay chose not to renew its naming rights deal. During most of 2007, it was referred to as The Ballpark at Disney's Wide World of Sports. On November 1 of that year, HanesBrands Inc. purchased the naming rights for ten years and put its Champion brand on the stadium.Orlando RaysIn 2000, after years of poor attendance at Tinker Field, the Orlando Rays moved to the Ballpark. However, the Rays, the Class AA Southern League affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays, continued to draw barely 1,000 fans a game in their new stadium. Things improved somewhat over the next three seasons; the Rays drew 150,051 fans in 2003, more than twice what they had seen just a few years earlier at Tinker Field, but still last in the league. Following the 2003 season, the Rays moved (breaking a 10-year lease at Disney after just four years) and became the Montgomery Biscuits.