The Fifth Third Arena renovation will lead to new video displays at the venue, as the University of Cincinnati has announced upgraded video technology. The home for Bearcats men’s and women’s basketball and volleyball will feature 36 new state-of-the-art LED Daktronics video boards bringing more than seven million LEDs and 5,700 square feet of displays throughout the venue.
As announced by the UC Department of Athletics, the new video experience includes a nine-display center-hung LED video display with an accompanying halo ring, four additional LED boards in the east and west upper-level sideline areas (Bearcat Lair), four ring LED boards on each of the four corner pillars of the arena, ribbon boards both courtside and encircling the concourse seating fascia and an exterior LED marquee display on the east side of the facility.
Other related experience enhancements include:
- new LED lighting system and sound system throughout the arena.
- acoustic panels along the venue’s roof interior.
- 100 new HD video displays also will be available along the concourses, clubs and locker room areas.
All features are part of a privately funded $87 million renovation project of Fifth Third Arena that began in March 2017.
“The fan experience at the new Fifth Third Arena is paramount in our daily planning on this transformational project,” Director of Athletics Mike Bohn said. “The addition of the new state of the art videoboards, ribbon boards and corner displays are indicative of our robust commitment to a Class of the League experience for our phenomenal guests.”
The highlight of the new video experience coming this fall is the $3.2 million, nine-display center-hung LED video display made possible in part thanks to a generous donation from the Wyler family.
The nine-display center-hung configuration features 3.9 million LEDs for nearly 2,000 square feet of digital canvas suspended above the court. The displays will boast a tight 6-millimeter line spacing for greater resolution and image quality that can be seen from every seat in the arena while the center-hung ring display will include 10-millimeter line spacing. The center-hung unit creates a rectangle shape with rounded corner displays between the main displays.
The two displays facing the sidelines will measure 16 feet high by 27 feet wide and the two displays facing the ends of the arena will measure 16 feet high by 16 feet wide. The four curved corner displays will measure 16 feet high by 6 feet wide. The ring circling the center-hung will measure 3 feet high by 86 feet in circumference.
Capable of variable content zoning, the new main video displays allow each to show one large image or multiple different zones of content including live video, instant replays, up-to-the-minute statistics, graphics and sponsorship messages.
The center-hung unit’s height also can be adjusted for various events held inside the venue.
“Our family is honored to support UC Athletics and the University in this exciting venture to create the finest on-campus arena in the country,” David Wyler said. “The Jeff Wyler Vision element is a signature piece of the game day presentation and we are looking forward to enjoying a cutting-edge experience along with our fellow Bearcats fans for years to come.”
“The Wyler Family’s gift to the Fifth Third Arena project represents a great University partner fueling the intensity of interest in our brand,” Bohn said. “They have joined with many others to make an impact in our community and help ensure a tremendous gameday experience for our customers.”
IMG College, the exclusive multimedia rights holder for UC Athletics, was a partner on the project.
Along with the center-hung display, fans attending events at Fifth Third Arena will notice four additional 8.5-foot high by 14.5-foot wide, 6-millimeter, upper-level LED video displays, and four 9.5-foot tall by 28-foot wide, 10-millimeter, ring LED video boards on the four corner pillars of the facility. Ribbon boards will surround the court on all four sides along the seating fascia. Each ribbon display will feature a 15-millimeter line spacing to provide supplemental information and graphics to the main display as well as allowing the opportunity to highlight sponsors throughout events.
At court level, 10 LED scorer’s tables and two stanchion displays mounted to each basket support provide additional visibility for statistics and sponsors. Outside the arena, a new marquee display will welcome fans to events.
RELATED STORIES: Fifth Third Arena Renovation Continues; Fifth Third Arena Renovations on Schedule; NCAA Arenas Prepare to Close for Renovations; Bearcats to BB&T Arena in 2017-18; Cincinnati Bearcats Looking for Home in 2017-2018 Season
