Houston Texans President Jamey Rootes shows off the new huge video screen at Reliant Stadium. (Photo by Houston Texans)
It’s easy to fall back on the old saying that everything is bigger in Texas — but in the case of NFL video boards, it seems to be true. The battle for the biggest video display in the National Football League raged on as the Houston Texans unveiled a screen at Reliant Stadium larger than that of the reigning title holder —the Dallas Cowboys’ at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
The Texans’ two new display boards are set up on both end zones, stretching 277-feet wide and 52.5-feet high. Those figures edge out the Cowboys’ screens, which measure a massive 160-feet wide by 72-feet high.
According to Houston Texans President Jamey Rootes, the decision to invest in new video boards wasn’t about being the biggest, but instead focused on what worked for the fans and taking advantage of new technology.
“We were 11 years into our stadium and it really came to a point where there had been a leapfrog in technology,” said Rootes, who added that with the costs of ongoing maintenance and repair for the previous screens, the time was right to replace them.
The $16-million cost for the boards came from a ‘repair and replacement fund’ at Reliant Stadium, which is bankrolled out of the rental payments of the stadium’s two primary tenants: the Texans and the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo.
In addition to showing replays and in-game footage, the video boards will also host additional programming that survey-taking fans said they wanted.
“Our key question is when you’re on your couch at home, what do you have access to that you don’t have at the stadium,” said Rootes. The main answers were a variety of replays and access to statistics.
The video boards will play in-game stats, as well as out-of-town scores and fantasy stats. At certain times during the stadium experience like player introductions, the full board will be used for video; however, Rootes said there is also a plan to be interactive and broadcast tweets from fans. There will also be footage from the locker room, the players warming up, and game notes and facts.
“It’s been work on the front end since our production team has a lot more real estate to work with, but it’s all part of the entertainment package we’re delivering,” said Rootes. “Lots of things that we do on game day are complicated, but if they improve the fan experience they’re worth our time and our investment.”
Replacement of the video board was a long time coming. According to Rootes, the Texans have been working toward new displays for several years.
Watch the introduction video here.
There were a couple key steps in the process: proving the need, evaluating technologies, defining the project cost, then funding.
“The final step was the approval from the Harris County Sports & Convention Corporation,” which came in a vote from the governing body in December, said Rootes. “If you’ve done all of your leg work, that part is relatively easy because the need is clear and the game plan is sound.”
Approval for the video boards also came while Reliant Stadium was bidding to host the 2017 Super Bowl — a bid Houston later won.
Though Mark Miller, general manager SMG – Reliant Park, said that some of the building’s shows, such as Disney On Ice, don’t use the video screens, he believes they will be a big draw for bringing in new events.
“I think [new video technology] is a plus on anybody’s list of what they’re looking for in a venue for their event,” said Miller. “Everyone I talk to says the experience is so enhanced that it’s almost like a new building.”
Mitsubishi Electric’s Diamond Vision Systems Division manufactured the high-definition video display boards, which made their sports debut Aug.17 during a home game against the Miami Dolphins. Mitsubishi Electric also furnished the screens at AT&T Stadium. The Diamond Vision installations can also be seen at Fenway Park in Boston, CenturyLink Field in Seattle, and Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis., as well as Air Canada Centre in Toronto and four other indoor arenas.
Mitsubishi Electric “doesn’t have the most installations, but they have the best installations,” said Rootes. “You can’t help but be impressed by the quality of the picture, the size, and the dynamic approach we’re able to provide for advertisers.”
“It’s no longer a static environment, but a truly dynamic experience,” he added.
Interviewed for this story: Mark Miller, (832) 667-1400; Jamey Rootes, (832) 667-2002