Article

Digital signage keeping score at the Super Bowl

The most watched TV show of the year will help showcase digital signage tech -- even if most won't realize it.

February 2, 2012 by Christopher Hall — writer, self

An estimated 111 million Americans watched last year's Super Bowl, and there's a good chance that number will go up again this year — just as it did last year.

And while most people will — obviously — be focused on the game on the field, those watching at home and the approximately 70,000 watching the game live at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis will be getting exposed to digital signage technology, even though most likely won't even think about it.

Daktronics, which supplies video scoreboards for sports venues across the country, provided the large screen LED displays for the Indianapolis Colts and Lucas Oil Stadium. (Interestingly enough, Daktronics said that the NFL facililties of both Super Bowl participants, the New England Patriots and New York Giants, use some of the latest Daktronics LED video and messaging technology in their stadiums.)

"We've had equipment at work for all but one Super Bowl game since 2001," said Mark Steinkamp, marketing director for Daktronics.

And according to NEC Display Solutions of America, there are plenty of NEC screens scattered around Lucas Oil Stadium, the most impressive display of which is the video wall at the stadium entrance:

"A video wall makes a bold statement in any application, but for a national pastime like the Super Bowl, its presence becomes part of the larger-than-life atmosphere of the day," said Ashley Flaska, vice president of marketing at NEC Display Solutions. "Our NEC video wall will be the first thing that people see as they embark on what for many will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience."

And finally, here's a local news video touting tours of Lucas Oil Stadium that provides a look at some of the digital signage ringing the arena bowl, as well as a quick glimpse of some digital signage in use for Super Bowl Media Days:

So the next time someone asks what digital signage is, ask them if they happened to catch the Super Bowl. There's about a one-in-three chance they did.

Read more about digital signage in entertainment venues.