A major addition is coming to Chickashaw Bricktown Ballpark, as the Oklahoma City Dodgers (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League) are installing a new videoboard. Construction for the state-of-the art display will start on July 11, and the Dodgers hope to have it in place by their home game on August 3.
The new video board will utilize the existing structure and layout of the current scoreboard and video board. The entire structure will be approximately 32 feet tall by 56 feet wide, housing over twice the video display area of the existing center field video board at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. The new high definition screen, designed by Daktronics, will be nearly 1,600 square feet, placing it among the top 10 largest in any Minor League Baseball stadium, as well as the fifth-largest in Triple-A baseball.
The board will feature a 15 mm display, making it two times brighter than the previous video board, which will improve fans’ ability to view the board in sunlight and bring a noticeable enhancement during day games.
The new video board will include variable content zoning, which will allow it to show one large image encompassing the entire screen, or be segmented into multiple zones for flexibility to highlight any combination of live video, instant replays, scoring information, up-to-the-minutes statistics, graphics and animations, and sponsor messaging. It will also incorporate industry-leading environmental protection and wide-angle visibility to appeal to every seat in the stadium.
“This is going to be an ambitious project to do during the season, but we wanted an improvement of this magnitude to take place at its earliest opportunity and not wait until 2017,” said OKC Dodgers President/General Manager Michael Byrnes. “Along with our partners with the City of Oklahoma City, we are both committed to making sure Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark remains one of the best facilities in all of Minor League Baseball.”
To support the new scoreboard, there will be additional upgrades to all in-house video production elements at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. The OKC Dodgers will use new high definition cameras at five different locations, provided by Omega Broadcast Group. Omega will also install new fiber cabling to accommodate the new high definition feed throughout the facility. Other upgrades to the video control room in the press box include improvements to the video replay system and addition of broadcast television quality video switching and graphics equipment.
“One of the most important elements of the fan experience when coming to Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark is our in-game entertainment and ‘the show’ we’re able to put on during each game,” Byrnes said. “These improvements will allow us to greatly enhance the fan experience, and that is very exciting.”
The manufacturing and installation of the video board will be managed by Daktronics, widely recognized as an industry leader in video board installations for public venues. More than two-thirds of all NFL, MLB, NHL, and NBA stadiums and arenas feature Daktronics scoring and/or display equipment in their venues.
In partnership with the City of Oklahoma City, the Dodgers have been working with local engineering firm Guernsey and local construction company Wynn Construction to execute the physical replacement of the current video board and installation of the new video board.
Rendering courtesy of the Oklahoma City Dodgers.