The stadium has hosted six Super Bowls (XXIII, XXIX, XXXIII, XLI, XLIV, LIV) the 2010 Pro Bowl,[7] two World Series (1997, 2003), four BCS National Championship Games (2001, 2005, 2009, 2013), one CFP National Championship (2021), one Copa América final (2024), the second round of the 2009 World Baseball Classic, and WrestleMania XXVIII.

From 1993 until 2011, the stadium also was the home field of the Florida Marlins of Major League Baseball (MLB) until their move to LoanDepot Park in 2012.

Team founder Joe Robbie explained what led to the decision to build a new stadium: "In 1976, the city of Miami wanted to quadruple our rent.

The stadium hosted its first Monday Night Football game on December 7 of that year, a 37–28 Dolphins victory over the New York Jets.

Dolphins founder Joe Robbie believed it was a foregone conclusion that MLB would come to South Florida, so he wanted the stadium designed to make any necessary renovations for baseball as seamless as possible.

In 1990, Wayne Huizenga purchased 50% of Joe Robbie Stadium and became the point man in the drive to bring Major League Baseball to South Florida.

Proposed 1994 FIFA World Cup matches could not be held at the stadium, as this June–July tournament conflicted directly with Marlins home games; Orlando's Citrus Bowl was used instead.

When the football season overlapped, cleat marks, as well as silhouettes of hashmarks and logos of the Dolphins or Hurricanes, were visible on the baseball diamond.

The lack of refuge from the uncomfortable climate and disruptive rain delays were considered a cause of chronically low attendance after that inaugural season.

When the Marlins were not contending, they struggled to attract crowds larger than 5,000, a figure that looked even smaller than that due to the cavernous environment.

Some Marlins players later admitted that they "couldn't wait to go on the road" because Sun Life Stadium (as their home had been renamed in 2010) had the "worst [playing] conditions" and least fan energy in the majors during years when the team was not a contender.

However, Robbie had foreseen Miami would be a likely location for a new or relocated MLB team, and the stadium was designed to make any necessary renovations for baseball as seamless as possible.

These remaining phases included adding a canopy to shield fans from the rain, which caused the relocation of the video boards to the corners of the upper deck, as well as narrowing the sidelines by bringing the seats closer to the field, ending its convertibility to baseball.

[28] In November 2017, the Miami Open tennis tournament announced that it would move from Crandon Park in Key Biscayne to Hard Rock Stadium in 2019.

Super Bowl XLI in 2007 at Dolphin Stadium, when the Indianapolis Colts defeated the Chicago Bears 29–17, was marred by heavy rains.

In 2012, the Dolphins scrapped plans for pitching a $200 million hotel tax proposal that would have included a partial stadium roof.

Previously, since the field runs east–west (rather than north–south, as is the case in most other stadiums), the north stands were exposed to the full force of South Florida's oppressive heat early in the season.

The issue became so problematic that Stephen Ross, who owned the Dolphins and the stadium, successfully petitioned the NFL to have all September home games start at or after 4 pm.

When the Marlins began play in 1993, the stadium's baseball capacity was initially reduced to 47,662, with most of the upper level covered with a tarp.

In addition to Huizenga's desire to create a more intimate atmosphere for baseball, most of the seats in the upper level would have been too far from the field to be of any use during the regular season.

Even with the reduced capacity, during years the Marlins were not contending, they often drew crowds of 5,000 or fewer—a total that looked even smaller due to the spacious environment.

The Marlins played nearly all of their home games from late May through mid-September at night due to South Florida's often oppressive heat and humidity.

The 2014 International Champions Cup preseason final was held at New Miami Stadium on August 4, 2014, with Manchester United defeating rival Liverpool 3–1 to claim the tournament's second title.

Two 2017 International Champions Cup preseason matches were played at the stadium, one of them being the El Clásico between Barcelona and Real Madrid.

On February 27, 2021, four-division boxing world champion Canelo Álvarez beat Avni Yildirim at Hard Rock Stadium to defend his WBA (Super), WBC and The Ring super-middleweight titles.

[74] On June 6, 2021, the stadium hosted the boxing event Bragging Rights between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and YouTube personality Logan Paul.

[78] Additionally, the East Lot of the venue has been used as a COVID-19 testing site, drawing hundreds of cars every day at the peak of the pandemic.

Fruit of the Loom filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 1999, and the Pro Player brand was ultimately liquidated in 2001, but the stadium name held for several more years.

[85] Sun Life Financial announced in 2012, that it will be exiting the U.S. annuity business and focusing on its employee benefits business in the U.S.[86] On August 14, 2015, the Dolphins told the Miami Herald that Sun Life's deal would expire in January 2016, and that the team had no plans to renew, wanting to position its renovated stadium as a brand new entity.

The team also stated that it would remove Sun Life's signage upon expiration of the deal, regardless of its ability to find a replacement sponsor before then.