How American Specialty is rethinking coverage for the next generation of entertainment.
The sports and entertainment industry continues to evolve rapidly, with new concepts blending dining, recreation and hospitality into immersive destination experiences. This growth presents significant opportunities for businesses and the insurance professionals who serve them, but it also introduces complex risk profiles that require specialized expertise and flexible underwriting approaches.
For managing general underwriters (MGUs) like American Specialty, these market dynamics create both challenges and opportunities. With roots dating back to 1989 and a team of nearly 90 professionals dedicated to the sports, leisure and entertainment space, American Specialty operates with delegated authority on behalf of its carrier partners to underwrite and issue policies, handle claims and provide risk management services.
Insuring a growing entertainment ecosystem
American Specialty’s book of business spans a wide range of operations within the sports and entertainment ecosystem and can offer solutions that meet the needs of businesses that combine dining and hospitality. This includes professional and amateur sports facilities, stadiums and arenas, family entertainment centers, live music venues, casinos, amusement parks, zoos, convention centers and more — offering a broad and dynamic portfolio.
The rise of entertainment centers that merge dining with immersive experiences continues to expand. While brands like Topgolf pioneered the dining-entertainment hybrid more than a decade ago, new variations are emerging, creating fresh underwriting opportunities for carriers with expertise in these evolving risk classes.
Mixed-use development has also transformed how sports facilities operate. Today, stadiums and arenas often anchor entertainment districts with restaurants, hotels, arcades and amusement attractions. The same trend has taken hold in amateur sports, where tournament complexes now function as destination venues built to capture visitor spending beyond competition fees.
Related: Mitigating risk in sports and entertainment
Navigating casualty market challenges
Despite these growth prospects, the liability insurance market remains difficult. General liability and excess coverage represent the most challenging areas, driven largely by social inflation and the rising severity of claims.
In response, many underwriters have reduced lead umbrella limits from $10 million to $5 million. This shift creates a difficult market for the $5 million excess layer, where few carriers are willing to attach. Once a tower clears the $10 million-mark, capacity becomes more available. But for the insureds seeking adequate limits, the challenge lies in bridging the gap between primary coverage and these higher excess attachment points.
Clients needing higher limits may require thoughtful structuring to build effective towers. American Specialty continues to support higher limits on select accounts and expand solutions where capacity is tight. Most of its business is written on an admitted basis, but it retains flexibility within its filings to approach certain risks with an excess & surplus (E&S) mindset when appropriate.
Related: Helping clients avoid gaps in coverage with accident and health insurance
Making service personal in a complex market
American Specialty’s approach to customer communication centers on making human interaction easy and accessible at every step of the underwriting and service process.
Its online portal for smaller accounts, American Specialty Express, reflects this philosophy. While many companies use technology to reduce staffing and direct customers away from live support, American Specialty has gone the other direction — designing the platform to enhance agent efficiency while maintaining direct access to underwriters and service professionals.
This stems from a recognition that insurance remains complex and consultative. Agents must advise clients on terms, pricing and coverage, often under tight timelines. Having an MGU that responds quickly and can engage in real conversation leads to stronger client relationships and better outcomes.
That’s why American Specialty treats response time as a key differentiator. Rather than allowing inquiries to sit for days or weeks, their standard is to respond within minutes or hours — whether in underwriting, customer service or claims.
When claims do occur, it’s equally important to work with teams that understand the nuanced risks at play. American Specialty’s claims professionals help agents advocate more effectively for their clients, bringing deep knowledge of the industry into every interaction.
Keeping the human in insurance
While technology will continue to shape insurance operations, the most effective tools should support — not replace — human engagement. The trend toward offshore call centers and automation is beginning to reverse as organizations rediscover the value of direct interaction.
For agents working in today’s challenging sports and entertainment liability market, partnering with a team that combines deep industry knowledge and genuine accessibility can make a meaningful difference, both in coverage outcomes and everyday service experience.
This material has been prepared for general informational purposes only, is intended to apply generally rather than to any specific company and presumes appropriate discretion will be exercised regarding any particular situation.
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