Daktronics LED Technology To Be Deployed In New Vikings Stadium
Gail Chiasson, North American Editor
The Minnesota Vikings and Minneapolis Sports Facilities Authority (MSFA) have selected Daktronics of Brookings, South Dakota, to design, manufacture and install 18 LED video displays featuring 13HD technology for their new stadium currently under construction in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
The planned Vikings Stadium
A total of more than 25,000 sq. ft. of video displays will work together to brand the Vikings home-game atmosphere and build a fan experience unique to the state.
The selection of Daktronics directly supports the employment of more than 200 local employees in the state of Minnesota working at Daktronics’ Redwood Falls factory. This facility recently underwent a $3.5 million expansion this past fall to include a total of more than 115,000 sq. ft. of manufacturing space as a key component of Daktronics strategic business plan to handle projects of this magnitude.
Reece Kurtenbach, Daktronics CEO, says, “The stadium will receive our premier 13HD technology that is currently being used in multiple professional sports facilities. The new display system will be a great addition to the architecture of the stadium and will provide an amazing experience for fans at Vikings games and other events held at the stadium.”
“The stadium project has always been about Minnesota companies and Minnesota workers,” says Michele Kelm-Helgen, MSFA chair. “The Daktronics contract is a good example of the economic impact of this project. We are thrilled to have a great company like Daktronics commit to the expansion of their manufacturing facility in Redwood Falls. We look forward to this partnership.”
The 13HD pixel layout featured in all of the new displays for this stadium is consistently chosen by premier facilities around the world including five professional football venues that installed this technology just last year.
“Our focus remains on providing a first-class experience to our fans,” says Mark Wilf, Vikings owner/president. “When the process is over and we open this building in 2016, we want to say we did what we could to ensure the best game-day experience possible.”
In the west end zone, a main display measuring roughly 68’ high by 120’ wide will serve as the focal point. This display will feature variable content zoning to show one large image or it can be zoned into multiple windows to show any combination of live video, instant replays, scoring information and statistics, graphics and animations, and sponsorship messages.
Two wing displays – one on each side of the main display – will measure roughly 43’ high by 15’ wide. These displays can supplement the main display or be joined with the main display to show one large image across the entire digital canvas for moments of extra emphasis and excitement.
A ‘skirt’ display measuring roughly 9’ high by 64’ wide will be installed at the field level to provide additional opportunities for graphics and sponsorships throughout events.
The east end zone is a mirror image of the west end zone where a main video display measuring roughly 50’ high by 88’wide will serve as the focal point of the east end zone. Two wing displays, each measuring roughly 25’ high by 15’ wide, flank the main display. These displays all feature the same capabilities as those in the west end zone.
Circling the seating fascia will be three ribbon displays, one attached to the upper concourse measuring approximately 3.5’ high by 1,550’ wide; one along the club level measuring approximately 2.5’ high by 1,475’ wide; and one at the press level measuring approximately 5’ high by 225’ wide. These displays provide the opportunity to showcase sponsors throughout events and to show additional scoring information, out-of-town scores and fantasy stats.
Eight sponsor displays measuring approximately 5’ high by 35’ wide will also be installed throughout the north side of the facility to bring additional recognition to sponsors and advertisers.
Daktronics will also be including its powerful Show Control System with this installation. This industry-leading system provides a combination of display control software, world-class video processing, data integration and playback hardware that forms a user-friendly production solution.
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