Edgbaston Stadium is one of the World’s leading cricket venues and has been hosting first-class and international cricket for more than 100 years, attracting crowds of up to 25,000 during high-profile matches such as The Ashes.
The new state-of-the-art LED screens bring the historic ground up to date, delivering a transformational digital upgrade across the cricket stadium. ADI have replaced the previous 16:9 LED screen on the South Stand, upgrading it to a more versatile 32:9 super-wide format.
Additionally, static advertising boards have been replaced with dynamic digital LED signage, enhancing the matchday experience for fans and creating significant commercial opportunities for the county ground.
This new screen joins ADI’s existing 2019 installation at Edgbaston on the other side of the stadium, the distinctive Thwaite Memorial Scoreboard; a large square shaped screen installed onto the original 1950’s structure.
Next-gen led technology
The new 78m² 32:9 LED Screen uses ADI’s proprietary MT Series LED modules in 6mm pixel pitch, providing four times the resolution of the previous screen. Both the screen and over 100m² of ribbon utilise premium “black” LEDs, providing enhanced levels of contrast and colour. With a major function of the screen being a live scoreboard, this helps to provide greater clarity for smaller text, whilst also ensuring exceptional display of partner brands on the digital ribbons.
ADI’s MT series LED modules are 50% lighter and thinner than before, meaning that they can be easily installed in more places, with less expensive supporting structural work required. This makes it easier and more cost-effective to digitise stadiums, replacing static advertising boards with engaging digital ribbon, when previously this would have been cost-prohibitive due the structures required.
In addition to the digiRIBBON hardware, ADI have provided their proprietary digiSOFT control software to operate the system. Continually developed over the past 15 years, digiSOFT is designed specifically for ribbon signage and runs most of the digital perimeter systems in UK football stadiums. It offers incredible flexibility as well as the ability to interface with the other screen operating systems within the venue, providing co-ordinated “Total Stadium Takeover” content across the whole digital stadium platform.
Enhancing Fan engagement
Choosing the 32:9 super-wide shaped screen offers Edgbaston a far more flexible and effective use of space allowing for increased commercial, informational and engagement opportunities alongside it’s primary use as a scoreboard and video broadcast screen.
Replacing the 150 meters of static advertising boards with dynamic content delivered by the digiRIBBON installed by ADI, will capture the attention of fans and engage them with promotional offers, messages, information for wayfinding and crowd control, alongside full-motion advertisements for brands and sponsors. The digital signage content can also be easily updated using the digiSOFT content management system, without having to manually change out physical printed material. This flexibility means the content can be customised for any occasion, including non-matchday events with relevant branding, logos and messaging.
maximising matchdays
With high-profile matches including International Test Matches and the World Championships of Legends, advertisers and sponsors have the opportunity for exposure to over 300,000 spectators across 47 days of cricket this season. There will also be access to domestic and international broadcast audiences via coverage on Sky Sports and YouTube Live Streams, opening brand new commercial revenue streams for the Stadium via the new LED technology.
Check out the latest in cricket stadium experience: https://edgbaston.com
Photos: Edgbaston Stadium and ADI.tv
