Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, a multi-purpose public sports and entertainment venue in Cleveland, OH that serves as home court for the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers, recently transformed its 25-year-old infrastructure into a cutting-edge facility including over 750 digital displays from LG Business Solutions USA that ensure every attendee can see the action at all times from every seat in the house and throughout the venue’s expanded gathering areas and concourses.
According to Crescent Digital, the AV integration firm that designed and installed much of the arena’s new technologies, this project proves that cities and organizations can potentially save hundreds of millions of dollars by renovating existing sports and entertainment venues instead of building brand new ones. Digital displays and integrated technology can play a significant role in these projects, as they have as part of the transformation of Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse.
“Through the efforts and investments of the team working in collaboration with the city of Cleveland Cuyahoga County, the hard work of our design and installation professionals, Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse is now a state-of-the-art, high tech arena that delivers an unforgettable fan experience with more than 750 LG digital displays,” said Crescent Digital CEO Mike Heines.
No matter where a visitor is inside the FieldHouse, the LG digital displays provide wayfinding information; live feeds of the game, concert or convention; event-specific messaging, marketing, and sponsor messages; and easy-to-read menus for restaurants and food and beverage stands.
[The Technology Manager's Guide to the New Era of Digital Signage]
The venue’s main concourse has a ring of 150 49-inch displays that wrap the entire perimeter and can be used individually or together to present any type of content. In fact, every display in the FieldHouse, both indoors and outdoors, is connected to a single IPTV distribution system that enables quick changes and automated scheduling of the enormous display network. This level of control enabled the venue to create a new experience for the national anthem, where the entire display network goes dark in a “blackout mode”, then comes on instantly when the song finishes.
As happens in any renovation project, Crescent Digital encountered some space constraints and infrastructure limitations that required creative thinking and custom designs to overcome. At one concession stand, plans called for digital displays to be mounted above the entire stand, covering its full length so every visitor can see the menu options from any location. Due to limited wall space from the stand to the ceiling, the team realized that the only workable solution was to install LG’s 86-inch Ultra-Stretch displays side-by-side, effectively forming an ultra-wide video wall above the stand. After that, the decision was made to use those same displays at all concession stands.
“Having the right partners on a project of this scale and complexity is critical,” said Cavaliers and Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse senior vice president and chief technology officer Mike Conley. “Our partners at Crescent Digital combined with the LG team made a big difference and helped create a vision and a solution that takes our technology and fan experience to the highest level possible. Everyone kept that in mind as solutions were created, while developing efficiencies at the same time. A true win-win-win equation.”
With a height of just 14 inches, the specialized ultra-stretch displays were also the perfect product for the Cavaliers locker room, where five of the displays sit side-by-side to create a ticker-like canvas that presents gameday-related media. The same displays also grace the ticket office, where they provide information to guests in line.
“Throughout the entirety of Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse, Crescent Digital was able to achieve every goal and meet every expectation with a diverse array of LG digital displays,” said Evan Peterson, senior account manager for LG Business Solutions USA. “The FieldHouse is a testament to what can be achieved through hard work and forward-thinking project leadership, and it paves the way for other venues around the globe to create efficiencies by renovating and updating facilities and technologies.”
The FieldHouse also upgraded displays in its premium guest spaces, such as areas for season ticket holders, with six LG video walls in 4x2, 2x2 and 3x3 configurations. Each video wall is comprised of multiple 49-inch or 55-inch high brightness displays with ultra-slim bezels (.88mm bezel-to-bezel). Additionally, each suite has three LG displays connected to the IPTV network, which guests can control to view cable programming.
“Using the right displays for the right job was crucial to the success of this project,” Heines said. “We chose LG as the indoor display provider because we know the quality of their products and support is second-to-none. Both Crescent Digital and venue operators had to ensure that each digital display installed would remain bright and sharp under 24/7 use, so it was vital to use commercial-grade units that are specifically designed to excel under these conditions.”
The displays and technology used as part of the larger total renovation is relevant for every type of event the FieldHouse hosts, from basketball games to concerts to corporate events. At every entrance, every point of sale, and essentially everywhere a visitor can look, digital displays provide opportunities for the venue and event hosts to share messaging, direct visitors to specific areas, welcome high-profile guests and present any type of content they desire on displays ranging from 27- to 98-inches.
“Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse has integrated so much visual technology throughout the arena that no fan or visitor will ever have to miss a big layup or their favorite song because they had to visit the restroom or wanted to buy a beverage,” concluded Peterson. “Now, when large event venues approach the end of their displays’ life cycles or consider infrastructure upgrades, we hope operators will look to this project as a beacon of what can be achieved by including cutting-edge technology and displays as part of the larger renovation plan.”
