How Digital Displays Engage Stadium Audiences

Like all stadiums, you have a scoreboard stadium LED display. You may have some bulletins and posters.

Don’t you find it just a little bit…boring?

Imagine instead sitting among the crowd and seeing your tweet or selfie on a massive display over the field. Or learning the lyrics to your new favorite song because they’re playing on a video wall behind the band? Or being able to download an interview with the player you idolize only available to the people sitting in the stadium at that moment?

With advances in digital and LED technology, manufacturers are creating displays and signage that do far more than show scores, announcements, and advertisements. Now stadiums throughout the world are using digital displays and signage to engage the audiences attending their events.

Examples of Use in Sports Arenas
Digital displays have their place in all sports. Here are some recent examples of sports teams using digital displays, and how they engaged their fans:

• 2015 Army-Navy Game, in conjunction with USAA, offered green screens to give attendees photo opportunities shareable to social media and a video wall set up specifically for that purpose.
• The NHL team Minnesota Wild installed displays throughout their home stadium to allow people to watch the game from anywhere in the stadium. No more missing the important plays when you go to the concession stand.
• The NBA team Orlando Magic gave those in suites the ability to view on-demand content with their displays, and allows viewers to watch both live and cable channels.

The Importance of Mobile Marketing
As mobile deepens its hold on the market, digital displays become more important, too. Digital displays allow mobile users to interact with the displays during events, and engage with the event providers before, during, and after it takes place through social media and user-generated content.

The variety of content you can offer is expanding, as well. Some of the suggestions offered by Chantal Tode in her Mobile Marketer article include:

• Uploading messages to social media channels
• Downloading content provided by the event or stadium
• Receiving information about the event or stadium

Digital Displays and Concerts
Many concerts are already taking advantage of mobile content. Live Twitter streams and crowdsourced visuals are two of the examples provided by FASTSIGNS. 

Another even more exciting example provided is Doritos’s campaign during SXSW 2013. The campaign encouraged engagement beyond taking pictures and tweeting. Attendees were also encouraged to vote for performances they wanted to see and when special effects would be produced.

Practical Usage
Don’t forget everything you used your displays and signage for before just because your new displays have fancy features. Digital displays can still show scores. They guide customers to the restrooms, gates, and concession stands just as well as static signs. But they do it as they’re offering specialized content.