Sporting stadiums are looking to take advantage of the movement towards 'dual-screening', with MCG and Etihad Stadium unveiling full LED digital signage,to take advantage of this trend.
In an Australian first, LED ribbons have been installed along the circumference of the ground and at the first level of Etihad Stadium and the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), as part of a partnership between Dentsu Aegis sponsorship agency Team Epic and the AFL. The launch means that each ground now has one kilometre of internal LED digital signage.
While Team Epic MD Richard Coyne told AdNews, that the ribbons will have advertising potential, the biggest impact will be changing the way sports are consumed in real life.
“The really interesting thing about how people are consuming entertainment – whether it's sports or TV – is this whole process of changing to the second or third screen,” Coyne said.
“Being digital allows us to think about how we incorporate content from outside of the stadium. By that I mean, are there things that people are saying at home that we would like to share with people in the stadium.
“What we're doing is recognising that information can come into the stadium through social media and there is now this whole connection of fans at the game and fans at home.”
While the screens have an obvious advertising application, Coyne said they were designed with the consumer, not advertisers in mind. He said the screens allow data and insights to be used to better the experience of fans watching in real life.
“We have the ability to look at the data that comes through sport and look at what what we call 'momentum shift',” Coyne said. “[For example] what has happened in the last ten minutes to change the fact that one team was doing well but isn't and another team is doing a lot better.”
The screens were launched in conjunction with the AFL season last week. Coyne also said 99% of the AFL's advertising partners came on board with the LED screens during the launch.
He pointed to the use of the screens by Toyota and Chemist Warehouse as examples of how the screens can be used to benefit brands and consumers.
Chemist Warehouse is an AFL partner and celebrates the goals of the away team, using the screens to show an animated celebration.
Toyota is the naming rights premium partner of the AFL and 'under its contract' has the right to display at the first bounce of the ball at the start of the game, and in the second, third and fourth quarters. As part of its content, it had a Toyota displayed, with a bunch of bouncing balls going through the car.
“Our advertising partners had to work really hard to think about how they were going to use their advertising space in the creation of their content,” Coyne said.
“Toyota has just tied their content back to the moment it is sharing with the fan and that is a really important thing to do as a partner.”
Have something to say on this? Share your views in the comments section below. Or if you have a news story or tip-off, drop us a line at adnews@yaffa.com.au
Sign up to the AdNews newsletter, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter for breaking stories and campaigns throughout the day.