Rogers Centre | Ontario, Canada

ROGERS CENTRE

Ontario, Canada

Images: Toronto Blue Jays, MKDrone, Brian Jones, Tim Gouw, Donna Lay, Bobby Singh

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s the Toronto Blue Jays moved into the 2022 season, they improved the home field advantage and game-day experience by continuing a partnership with Daktronics, for 10 new LED displays at the Rogers Centre in Ontario.

DAKTRONICS

The total of over 14,000 sq feet of displays combining for more than 11 million LEDs were installed in the offseason, including an HDR-capable main video display. The new main video display is curved, HDR-capable and measures approximately 49 feet high by 110.5 feet wide. It is installed in centre field to bring an excellent viewing experience to Blue Jays fans throughout the stadium. This display features variable content zoning, allowing it to show one large image or multiple zones of content - including any combination of live video, instant replays, up-to-the-minute statistics and game information, graphics and animations, and sponsorship messages. Flanking the main display are four additional LED displays and content can be coordinated across all five displays for one main centre field viewing experience. Two displays mounted even with the bottom of the main display measure 15.5 feet high by 75.5 feet wide and two ribbon-style displays appear to extend out from the middle of the main display measure nearly 5 feet high by 75.5 feet wide. All centre field displays feature 10-millimeter pixel spacing. “The new HDR-capable main video display and center field display configuration at the Rogers Centre will deliver an amazing viewing experience for the Toronto Blue Jays, their players and fans,” said Daktronics President and CEO, Reece Kurtenbach. “We’re thrilled to continue our long-standing partnership with the team and to introduce this cutting-edge technology at their ballpark.” Additional displays include a main ribbon display installed along the seating fascia measures 3.5 feet high by 1,324 feet wide and features 16-millimeter pixel spacing. Two displays near the foul poles each measure 6 feet high by 32.5 feet wide and, along the outfield wall, two field-level fence displays each measure 9.5 feet high by 65 feet wide. These four displays feature 10-millimeter pixel spacing. Coordinated together, all of these displays provide additional statistics, graphics and sponsorship opportunities to entertain and engage Blue Jays fans during every game.

EAW

When officials with the Rogers Centre, home of the Toronto Blue Jays MLB team, decided it was time to replace the two decades old PA system back in 2019, they could not have predicted the impending pandemic. Working with AV and design consultant Anthony James Partners (AJP), the venue selected a brand new state-of-the-art QX series PA from Eastern Acoustic Works (EAW®). With the building shut down in 2020, the Blue Jays were forced to play the season in the United States. The stadium was unable to reopen its doors due to the lockdown and didn’t have the opportunity to show off its new PA system until the team returned to Toronto for the following season. SF Marketing (SFM), a Canadian-based provider of customized go-to-market solutions for the audiovisual, live entertainment and media production industries, managed the procurement, delivery and testing of the equipment. AJP and a representative from the Toronto Blue Jays, designed the system, while All Pro supplied the gear and managed the deployment and tuning. Spark Power handled the integration. “In addition to being the local EAW representative in Toronto for the last 24 years, I am also a fan of the Jays and the facility,” says Rob Deslauriers of SFM. “It was exciting to see the prior EAW audio system upgraded to the EAW QX series to achieve an even better fan experience. Current Major League sports require a more immersive experience for fans and the new system does not disappoint.” A total of 125 EAW QX500 and QX300 Series loudspeakers were installed as part of the main PA on the 500 seating level. The 100 level has three-way QX500 Series boxes and the 200 level features two-way QX300 Series speakers. Over 250 additional EAW products were installed throughout the venue comprised of mainly MK8126i two-way passive speakers along with JF80Z and JF60Z two-way trapezoidal enclosures. The QX Series delivers very high output point source clusters in a size-efficient package. The series includes two ranges – QX500 and QX300 – each of which delivers a choice of coverage patterns from systems that use identical enclosures. Ideal in sports arenas, the QX series is also designed for a wide range of other venues requiring high power and consistent coverage in a compact housing; venues including houses of worship, outdoor stadiums, performing arts spaces, theaters and clubs. The QX’s broadband pattern control helps tame hostile acoustical environments. In addition to the audio upgrade, the stadium also added several new visual elements, including a brand-new video board and several pole displays, as well as a renovated control room for the following season.

EXPERIENCE THE DAKTRONICS Difference

“Daktronics is elevating our fan experience with the most LED displays ever installed at a sports venue. With all those pixels it is imperative we think of the guest journey from the moment they arrive to sitting in their seats at Climate Pledge Arena. Having a worldclass sports entertainment facility under a historic roof allows us to find a happy fusion of tradition and technology.”

Seattle Kraken SVP Entertainment Experience & Production Jonny Greco

Scan the QR Code to learn more about the integrated LED and content system from Daktronics at Climate Pledge Arena.