Daktronics install Arizona's largest LED display at Chase Field
Daktronics has partnered with the Arizona Diamondbacks to design, manufacture and install the largest LED video display in Arizona and three ribbon boards at Chase Field in Phoenix ahead of the 2026 baseball season. The video display in center field will total nearly 9,600 square feet of digital canvas, a 52% increase over the previous Daktronics display and top 10 in size at the major league level. The ballpark now has more than 21,000 square feet of digital signage totaling 16.9 million pixels at the Diamondbacks’ disposal to entertain and inform their fans.
“Our goal is always to make Chase Field one of the most exciting places in baseball to watch a game,” said Derrick Hall, D-backs President, CEO & General Partner. “Daktronics brought incredible expertise and innovation to this project, helping us deliver a world-class scoreboard and ribbon board system that will transform how fans experience the game at Chase Field. These new displays are an innovative step forward, building on recent lighting and audio upgrades as we continue enhancing the ballpark for our fans.”
Display Details
The new main video display will measure 63 feet high by 152 feet wide. It features a 10-millimeter pixel spacing to deliver excellent image clarity and contrast to fans in the seating bowl of the stadium. It features variable content zoning to share one large image or multiple zones of content baseball fans expect at every game, including live video, up-to-the-minute statistics, graphics and animations, and sponsorship messages.
“Every moment at the ballpark is a chance to create memories, and we’re honored to help the Diamondbacks make those moments even more unforgettable,” said Jay Parker, Daktronics vice president of Live Events and Spectaculars. “These new displays will bring fans closer to the action, amplify the excitement and turn every play into a shared experience. For decades, the Diamondbacks have trusted Daktronics to deliver technology that performs when it matters most, and that trust is what makes projects like this so special.”
Ribbon Display Details
One ribbon display runs from the right field foul pole to behind home plate to past the left field foul pole and will measure roughly 1141 feet long. An upper ribbon display will measure nearly 984 feet long and a press box ribbon display will measure 232 feet long. All three will measure more than 3.5 feet high.
These three ribbon displays also feature 10-millimeter pixel spacings and offer the ability to highlight sponsors throughout events while also sharing supplemental statistics and game information to the main display.
Daktronics has grown with the sports industry from the company’s beginnings in 1968. Today, the company has integrated LED super systems in more than 50% of all professional sports facilities in the United States and Canada. For more information on what Daktronics can provide, visit www.daktronics.com/professionalsports.
Cardiff's Principality Stadium to host 2026 Community Shield
The 2026 FA Community Shield will be played at the Principality Stadium in Cardiff on Sunday 16 August.
The ‘curtain raiser’ for the new football season is traditionally played on the weekend before the Premier League begins.
Due to alterations to the 2026-27 football calendar, next season’s Premier League will begin over the weekend of Saturday 22 August, and Wembley Stadium connected by EE is unavailable on Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 August due to pre-planned concerts.
The Welsh national stadium has a rich history of hosting major football events, including the FA Community Shield on six occasions between 2001 and 2006, and it provides a neutral venue for the competing clubs as well as one of the largest capacities in the United Kingdom for fans to attend.
Further details about the 2026 FA Community Shield, which sees the winner of the Emirates FA Cup take on the Premier League champions, will be announced at the earliest possible opportunity following the conclusion of the 2025-26 football season.
Euroleague Basketball partner with Coca-Cola
Euroleague Basketball and The Coca-Cola Company have announced a new multi-season global partnership that will see Sprite become an Official Partner of the EuroLeague, starting from the 2026-27 season, with Sprite set to appear during the highly anticipated 2026 EuroLeague Final Four Athens presented by Etihad.
The agreement marks Sprite's first partnership within Europe’s premier basketball competition and brings one of the world’s most iconic brands in the sport into the heart of the European game at a time when the sport is growing rapidly across the region.
Basketball has long been central to Sprite’s DNA, with both Sprite and Basketball sitting at the intersection of street culture. For decades, Sprite has shaped how fans connect through the culture surrounding the game, spanning sport, music, fashion and self-expression. Through this ground-breaking new partnership, Sprite will bring that legacy into a new chapter in Europe, creating fresh ways for fans to engage with the EuroLeague.
“Basketball is more than a sport. It’s a powerful force in culture, shaping how people connect through music, style, self-expression and community” said Michael Willeke, Vice President, Marketing – Sparkling Flavors Europe at The Coca-Cola Company. “Sprite has always stood for fresh perspectives, and we see basketball as a space where culture isn’t just consumed, it’s co‑created. Through our partnership with Euroleague Basketball, we will celebrate the voices, creators and communities that unlock fresh energy, new connections and experiences keeping basketball culture moving forward.”
As part of the partnership, Sprite and Euroleague Basketball are exploring a series of premium, access-driven fan experiences that bring supporters across Europe closer to the heart of the game. These include opportunities to meet current and former players and engage with the EuroLeague trophy, gain behind-the-scenes access to team environments, and experience the competition from unique vantage points typically reserved for insiders.
This relationship aligns with Euroleague Basketball’s commercial strategy, which focuses on strengthening partnerships with top-tier brands that share the organization’s pan-European identity and global reach.
“This partnership with Sprite represents an exciting milestone for Euroleague Basketball,” said Gawain Davies, Euroleague Basketball Chief Commercial Officer. “Partnering with one of the world’s most iconic brands reinforces the global appeal of the EuroLeague and reflects our commitment to collaborating with partners that share our ambition to continue growing the competition. Together, we look forward to creating memorable experiences for fans across Europe and beyond.”
The collaboration will leverage EuroLeague expansive digital ecosystem, offering Sprite’s unparalleled visibility and engagement opportunities across multiple platforms. It will also feature in-venue channels, including on-court branding and in-arena advertising, bringing the brand into arenas across Europe, starting with the EuroLeague Final Four in Athens this May.
Together, Sprite and the EuroLeague will create fresh new ways for fans across Europe to experience the game and the culture around it.
VITEC upgrade signage and IPTV for Meydan Racecourse
Meydan Racecourse in Dubai is a world-renowned venue, home to the Dubai World Cup and a centerpiece of the region’s sporting and hospitality scene. With an 80,000-seat grandstand, luxury suites, restaurants, and a five-star hotel, Meydan required state-of-the-art media delivery system to enhance the guest experience, deliver low latency video streams, and maximize sponsor engagement. VITEC’s IPTV and digital signage platform was chosen to deliver broadcast-quality video and dynamic content across this iconic venue.
The Client
Meydan Racecourse is globally recognized for hosting prestigious international horse racing and entertainment events. Its scale and reputation demand world-class technology and guest services. To maintain its leadership in the competitive sports and hospitality sector, Meydan continually invests in innovative infrastructure and technology.
The Challenge
The project presented several challenges. Meydan’s vast infrastructure spans multiple zones, each with unique requirements, from VIP suites needing 4K video and personalized content, to public concourses and hospitality areas requiring robust live feeds and dynamic signage. The existing media systems were outdated and lacked the flexibility, reliability, and performance needed for modern, high-profile events. Managing content across hundreds of screens was time-consuming and inefficient, and the venue needed a platform to deliver impactful, targeted messaging for sponsors. In live horse racing, even a one-second delay can disrupt the immersive experience for guests and bettors, making ultra-low latency a critical requirement.
The Solution
VITEC deployed its award-winning IPTV & Digital Signage Platform, tailored to Meydan’s demanding requirements. The solution featured MGW Diamond encoders, which deliver sub-second latency using advanced HEVC (H.265) and H.264 compression, ensuring real-time, broadcast-quality video throughout the venue. SDI feeds are encoded from professional broadcast cameras used around the track. Over 600 VITEC 4K Digital Signage Players were installed, providing silent, fanless, hardware-based endpoints for seamless 4K playback and dynamic signage overlays.
The VITEC platform enabled zone-based content distribution, real-time monitoring, and role-based access control, all managed from a single web-based dashboard. The integrated CMS allows for scheduled promotional content, sponsor ads, event schedules, safety messages, and emergency overrides. Multicast streaming and VLAN segmentation ensured efficient bandwidth usage and reliable content delivery without impacting other venue operations. VITEC also conducted a thorough site assessment to integrate with Meydan’s existing infrastructure, minimizing disruption and ensuring compatibility.
The Results
The transformation has been significant. Guests now enjoy immersive, real-time race coverage and engaging digital signage throughout the venue. VIP suites, restaurants, and public areas benefit from high-quality, synchronized content. Sponsors report improved visibility and audience interaction, with the ability to deliver animated, interactive, and time-sensitive content at key moments. This centralized management has streamlined workflows and improved reliability, while real-time diagnostics allow technical staff to quickly resolve issues. Since deployment, Meydan has seen improvements to its metrics since the system went live, including increased screen uptime, reduced latency complaints, higher sponsor engagement, operational time savings, and enhanced guest satisfaction.
“Our vision at Meydan has always been to set the standard for world-class sporting and entertainment experiences,” says Ahmad Bsat, Business Development Manager at VITEC. “Partnering with Meydan has enabled us to deliver live content and information to every corner of our venue, ensuring that every guest, whether in a private suite or the grandstand, enjoys an unforgettable race day.”
River Plate secure financing of $100 million for stadium work
Club Atlético River Plate has secured approval for international financing of up to US$100,000,000 aimed at developing social, educational, and sports infrastructure, as well as the expansion and renovation works of the Estadio Más Monumental.
The financing will be structured jointly with BID Invest—the private sector financing arm of the Inter-American Development Bank Group (IDB Group)—and the Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean (CAF), the region's leading multilateral credit institutions for development. Both institutions will contribute equally to the total financing amount. The project will support the expansion of the new building for the Instituto River Plate and the Casa River youth residence.
The stadium expansion will help improve attendee comfort, increase and diversify revenue sources, boost capacity for events, reduce noise, and enhance year-round usage. The Club will allocate at least 25% of the additional revenue from the stadium expansion to additional scholarships and the development of further sports and social infrastructure through the Social Reinvestment Fund.
In Latin America and the Caribbean, soccer is a powerful unifying force and a tool for social integration and transformation. Investments in sports clubs whose activities extend beyond professional sports to include amateur sports and community initiatives can generate significant social benefits. Investments in sports and cultural infrastructure can stimulate economic activity in the project's area of influence.
The commercial revenues from this project are contractually linked to education, scholarships, women's sports, and community infrastructure. Through the stadium's expansion and modernisation, the goal is to generate new private revenues that will be partially allocated—via a contractual framework—to educational programs, social inclusion, and community development.
This initiative, driven in partnership with CAF and IDB Invest, does not target financing for sports performance but rather aims to consolidate a sustainable model in which the club's activities directly contribute to social objectives.
The financing features a total term of 10 years, including a three-year grace period, allowing the Club to begin repaying the loan once the project starts generating the anticipated resources. In this regard, the repayment structure is based on the incremental revenues from the Estadio expansion—both through ticketing and new commercial agreements tied to the increased capacity and infrastructure improvements—as well as the concerts contract and naming rights.
Financially, the loan is denominated in dollars and referenced to the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR)—the short-term interest rate published by the United States Federal Reserve—plus a preferential margin aligned with market conditions, a milestone that reflects the confidence in and financial strength of our institution. The approval of this financing is the result of months of effort, during which the Club underwent a thorough analysis and due diligence process by both entities.
As a nonprofit civil association with over 350,000 members and an extensive network of educational and social programs—including Casa River, the Colegio River, and the Fundación River—the club already maintains a robust ecosystem of impact on youth and vulnerable communities. From a financial perspective, the operation introduces long-term conditions and discipline mechanisms unavailable in the local market.
The initiative is expected to create jobs, boost local economic activity, and expand access to educational and sports opportunities. Overall, the project seeks to demonstrate that sports institutions can serve as effective vehicles for sustainable and replicable development in Latin America. This achievement not only ensures progress on a strategic project for institutional growth but also positions River Plate as a benchmark in management, transparency, and access to international financing within the sports world.
Chesterfield FC modernises matchday experience with Uniguest
Chesterfield FC has deployed Uniguest’s Sports Hub platform to transform matchday communication at the SMH Group Stadium, bringing Premier League-grade technology to a League Two environment.
Founded in 1866, Chesterfield FC is one of England’s oldest football clubs and a central part of life in North Derbyshire. As the club worked to rebuild on the pitch and return to the Football League, attention also turned to improving the stadium experience for fans, partners and the wider community.
“There are two sides to having a successful football club,” said Ashley Kirk, Chairman of Chesterfield FC. “There’s what happens on the pitch, but off it we knew there was investment needed in the ground. We wanted fans to feel proud of the stadium as well as the team.”
While the stadium itself was modern, digital communication across the venue had become outdated and difficult to manage. Content updates were manual, IPTV lacked flexibility and the club’s small internal team faced increasing pressure to keep systems running smoothly on matchdays.
Chesterfield FC deployed Uniguest Sports Hub across approximately 40 screens throughout the stadium, spanning concourses, hospitality lounges, offices and reception areas. The platform brings IPTV and digital signage into a single interface, enabling the club to manage content, layouts and scheduling centrally while maintaining flexibility across different areas of the venue.
A key improvement has been the ability to control live content across the stadium. With Sky Bright Box integration, different screens can now display different channels simultaneously, enhancing both the concourse and hospitality experience.
Sports Hub also enables real-time engagement through event triggers, allowing goals, substitutions and 50/50 draw results to be shared instantly across the screen network so fans remain connected wherever they are in the stadium.
Beyond matchdays, the platform supports the club’s wider commercial strategy. Hospitality suites can display tailored branded content for conferences and corporate events, while integration with Microsoft Teams Rooms turns idle meeting room screens into branded digital signage.
“The team are constantly coming up with new inventory that we didn’t have before,” said Kirk. “Sponsors recognise they’re getting in front of 8,500 people every Saturday, and that’s powerful. It took a bit of investment, but the return has already been very, very good – we’re very pleased with it.”
The expanded digital estate has created new sponsorship opportunities across the stadium, while also strengthening the club’s conference and banqueting proposition through more flexible and engaging event experiences.
The improvements have coincided with a strong resurgence in attendances, which have more than doubled in recent seasons. While success on the pitch has played a role, the enhanced matchday environment has contributed to improved fan feedback and a stronger overall perception of the club.
“Stadium technology needs to be both impactful and accessible across the sports and entertainment spectrum,” said James Keen, Executive Vice President of Marketing at Uniguest. “From stadia and arenas to community venues and clubs, platforms need to scale to meet both engagement and budgetary goals. Chesterfield FC is a great example of how teams lower down the pyramid can create a high-quality, connected experience for their supporters.”
The project reflects a broader shift in the industry, where technology once limited to top-tier venues is becoming accessible to clubs at every level – enabling them to improve operations, unlock new revenue streams and deliver a more connected fan experience.
Signify: Illuminating the Strip
When the Las Vegas Strip transforms from a world-famous tourist corridor into a high-speed FIA-standard circuit, the logistical challenges are immense. Central to this transformation is the challenge of visibility. For a night race where drivers exceed 300 km/h, the lighting is a critical safety infrastructure, and the backbone of the Las Vegas Grand Prix as a spectacle.
The Las Vegas Grand Prix spans a 6.2 km track featuring 17 turns and a long, high-speed blast down the iconic Strip. To ensure the safety of the drivers and the quality of the global broadcast, Signify installed 1,548 ArenaVision LED (gen 3.5) floodlights across the circuit.
Engineered for the rigours of professional sports, the ArenaVision system provides the precision required for Formula 1’s exacting standards. Each light is paired with a Lumisport driver, allowing for the fine-tuned control necessary to handle the varying geometry of the Las Vegas streets, which include overpasses, different wall heights, and multiple lanes.
Read the full article from ISSUE 46 below:
https://issuu.com/mondiale/docs/mdst46_digitallr/58
Q&A: Duncan Miller, Adder Technology
In live sports broadcasting, infrastructure is no longer just about performance. It is about flexibility, integration, and control in environments where latency, reliability, and coordination are non-negotiable.
Modern stadiums and production teams operate across distributed control rooms, Outside Broadcast (OB) trucks, centralized machine rooms, and remote production facilities. Workflows are increasingly IP-based, multi-vendor, and geographically dispersed. As these production models evolve, so too must the control systems that connect operators to critical equipment in real-time.
Adder Technology has built its reputation on enabling that control. As a global specialist in high performance IP KVM and connectivity solutions, Adder supports broadcasters and venue operators in designing resilient, scalable infrastructures that deliver uncompromising real-time performance across complex environments.
In the following Q&A, Duncan Miller, Director of Global Marketing at Adder Technology, discusses how infrastructure is adapting to modern sports production, the operational pressures facing broadcast teams, and why contextual evaluation is becoming increasingly important in high-stakes environments.
Read the full article from ISSUE 46 below:
https://issuu.com/mondiale/docs/mdst46_digitallr/64
PSV announce Philips Stadion expansion plans
PSV has unfolded plans for the expansion of the Philips Stadium. The club's home ground should become an iconic connector that matches the atmosphere of the striking Philips village and does justice to its unique location between Eindhoven's city center and Strijp-S.
Tonight, those living near the stadium were included in the architectural design and ambitious plans of the preferred variant. PSV had previously involved the neighborhood to identify wishes and concerns and did so again with more detailed plans. The Eindhoven City Council's College of Mayor and Aldermen has also been informed about the ideas and has formulated a number of concerns, particularly in the areas of safety, accessibility and livability.
Colonnade
Around the existing construction of the stadium, the design reveals, a shell will be built with a so-called colonnade. This will provide a stylistic metamorphosis of the facade, which can be walked under surrounded by green beds. On the new outer shell, a third ring will be realized on all four sides. This creates a beautiful whole without height differences and thus keeps indoor noise and noise pollution to a minimum.
With its planned expansion, PSV is responding to the city and region's jump in scale. The club wants to be accessible to younger generations of PSV supporters, who now have little or no opportunity to attend matches due to lack of capacity. In addition, growth is important for PSV to remain structurally involved in the national and European (sub)top.
Feasibility & financing
Marcel Brands, PSV's general manager, praises the steps that have been taken. "A lot of hard work has been done by architects, the municipality and our own design team, among others, to get here. What is there now looks fantastic, is ambitious and radiates respect for the surroundings. In the coming months we will continue to explore the feasibility and the financing will be worked out in more detail. We are at the beginning, but if we have proven anything in the Brainport region, it is that great things come about when we go for it together."
This is endorsed by Stijn Steenbakkers, alderman for Brainport and area development Spoorzone of the municipality of Eindhoven. "For decades, the Philips Stadium has been a place where Eindhoven and its surroundings come together. The expansion not only strengthens an icon of our city, but also precisely a top facility that has enormous value for the region. The preferred variant provides space for a new generation of supporters to cheer on their club and grows along with the ambitions and growth of Brainport Eindhoven. I am confident that together with PSV we will realize a stadium that radiates Eindhoven pride, fits in with the surroundings, is easily accessible and will remain a connecting place in the future. By building and growing together, we show that unity makes power."
Growth potential
In early 2024, the growth potential of visitor numbers until 2030 was mapped out. In recent months, PSV has updated the needs study and commissioned a more in-depth study. This included a look ahead to the potential to 2040. Market research and studies by renowned agencies from home and abroad indicate a sustainable visitor potential of 55,000 to 60,000 per match.
To what extent the expansion will provide this is not yet possible to say. This depends on the choice of roof construction and the ratio of regular seats to business areas. Presumably the capacity will be between 52,000 and 58,500 seats and, for safety reasons, a permit will be applied for to expand to a maximum of 25,000. Currently, the Philips Stadium seats over 35,000 spectators.
In addition to aesthetics and noise containment, another advantage of expansion on four sides is that there will be no major rebuilding in the future. After the upcoming expansion, which may be carried out in phases, the Philips Stadium will be finished. Technically, further expansion is then unrealistic. Of course, the renovation is still subject to obtaining the necessary permits and financial feasibility.
Extra facilities
The new appearance of the south side on Frederiklaan forms a whole with the historic Philips village in which the stadium is located. This does justice to the unique, local context, while the design of the whole fits seamlessly with the scale of the surroundings. With an ingenious layout of the north side, the television compound, grass lighting and player bus parking will disappear from the public space as much as possible.
The stadium thus contributes to the vibrancy of the city center and is much more than just a football facility. It provides a connection between people, with events and various social facilities in addition to football matches. Research is being done to determine which facilities can be given a place, to support the neighborhood and the immediate area. In parallel, a mobility plan is being developed to keep the stadium and the neighborhood accessible on and off match days.
Support
The PSV Football Foundation and the Supervisory Board of PSV have expressed their support for the plans to the (stadium) management of PSV. The club aims to start the renovation work in 2027 and aims to complete it in 2030. During the expansion work, PSV will continue to play its home matches at the Philips Stadium.
FROM APPS TO ASSISTANTS: AI & venue experience
FROM APPS TO ASSISTANTS: How personalised AI could reimagine the venue experience
George Vaughan, The Digital Line
For more than two decades, our relationship with the digital world has been shaped by three dominant interfaces: browsers, websites and apps. They have defined how we search for information, buy products, access services and interact with organisations. They have created new ways to transact and new opportunities for engagement across global platforms. But the next layer may now be emerging.
Recent studies suggest that more than a third of consumers now begin information searches with AI tools rather than traditional search engines, indicating that conversational systems may already be reshaping how people access digital services. Many of you reading this article will have used tools such as ChatGPT to answer a question, sharpen an email or check what is showing at the local cinema. It might not be because you necessarily love artificial intelligence, but because you want something simpler that offers less friction, more relevance and faster access to the things you need.
This shift does not signal the end of apps or browsers but it could mark the beginning of a new interaction layer - one that sits above them. And crucially, that layer is likely to become a lot more personal. For industries built around live experiences like ticketing, arenas, stadiums and even cities, this change could reshape how audiences engage with services long before they arrive at the turnstile.
Read the full article from ISSUE 46 below:
https://issuu.com/mondiale/docs/mdst46_digitallr/60