We know one score at the new Texas Rangers ballpark. The park has scored nine LED displays and about 1,400 LCD screens.
Daktronics (NASDAQ-DAKT) of Brookings, South Dakota, will continue a long relationship with the Texas Rangers to provide nine LED displays and approximately 1,400 LCD for an IPTV (Internet Protocol Television) system at the team’s new Globe Life Field in Arlington. Eight new SMD (Surface-Mount Device) LED displays, a centerfield 15HD display and all LCDs will be fully integrated using Daktronics Show Control System.
The announcement was made May 6 during a media event at Globe Life Field with representatives of the Rangers and Daktronics. The Rangers also announced that the public address booth at Globe Life Field will be located on the main concourse behind home plate, a first for current Major League ballparks. The booth will be 500 square feet, 21 feet deep, and 33 feet wide. The booth will have glass walls so fans will be able to view and interact with Rangers Executive Vice President, Ballpark Entertainment & Productions, Chuck Morgan, who has also served as the club’s public address announcer at Arlington Stadium and Globe Life Park and beginning in 2020, Globe Life Field, since 1983
“The Rangers and Daktronics have enjoyed a great partnership that dates back to 1993,” said Morgan. “With its state-of-the art technology, Daktronics has assisted us in providing the best possible ballpark entertainment for our fans for many years.
“The equipment and technology Daktronics is providing at the new Globe Life Field will bring the ballpark experience to an even higher level and it’s been a pleasure working with them on this project.”
The largest display will tower over right field and measure approximately 58 feet high by 150 feet wide. The display in left field will measure 40 feet high by 111 feet wide. These displays feature 15-millimeter line spacing using SMD 3-in-1 LED technology.
Together, these two displays will provide fans with 13,000 square feet of entertainment and information. These displays feature a total of 5.2 million pixels for high-resolution images and it would take 1,220 60-inch televisions to cover both displays.
Both outfield displays are capable of variable content zoning allowing each to show one large image or to be divided into multiple zones to show any combination of live video, instant replays, up-to-the-minute statistics, graphics and sponsorship messages.
“This system will feature a main video display that is beyond HD resolution using the latest SMD technology that is increasingly becoming standard in these large displays,” said Daktronics President and CEO Reece Kurtenbach. “Another eight displays in the bowl and an IPTV network of displays throughout the stadium creates a comprehensive solution of displays around the stadium to deliver an immersive experience for the fans. These technologies, powered by an innovative broadcast-quality control system and service expertise, will take the new home of the Texas Rangers to another level of game-day experience.”
Spanning the length of the seating fascia from foul pole to foul pole, a ribbon display will measure 2.5 feet high by 925 feet long. On the suite level fascia, a ribbon display will measure 3.5 feet high by 211 feet long. These displays also feature 15-millimeter line spacing and SMD technology to provide supplemental information to the main displays while providing the opportunity to highlight sponsors throughout events.
Two displays using 6-millimeter line spacing will be installed on the field-level suite fascia behind home plate and the display in centerfield will feature a 15HD pixel layout and measure 80 feet high by 20 feet wide to provide additional information for fans and sponsors. The Texas Sky Porch will feature a 3.9-millimeter video wall display to connect with fans in the club area. The interview room will feature a 2.5-millimeter narrow pixel pitch display to highlight sponsors as a press conference backdrop.
Globe Life Field is expected to open in March 2020 in time for the Rangers’ season.
The official groundbreaking for Globe Life Field took place on September 28, 2017 with construction beginning the following week. The new 1.7 million square foot ballpark, which will be located on 13 acres just south of the current Globe Life Park in Arlington, will include a retractable roof for climate control and shelter for fans during the hot summer months. Seating capacity is expected to be approximately 43,000 for Globe Life Field.
The new venue will also complement and enhance the fabric of the surrounding Texas Live!, a mixed-used development created by The Cordish Companies that opened in August 2018 and features outstanding dining and entertainment options. Loews Hotels & Co. is also constructing the adjacent Live! by Loews – Arlington, TX, hotel and convention center which is scheduled to open in August 2019.