The NBA’s Indiana Pacers have introduced a new digital experience at Bankers Life Fieldhouse with the installation of LED displays round the venue, capped off with a new 600 sq ft center-hung scoreboard.
The upgrades form part of the Fieldhouse of the Future Phase 1 renovations, showcasing new amenities and spaces fans will begin to see as Bankers Life Fieldhouse gradually welcomes the general public back for live events. In addition to the NBA season, the renovated digital experience will be on display for the NCAA Basketball Tournament in Indianapolis beginning in March.
Experience design company ANC helped deliver the project including the center-hung scoreboard, which ANC designed through a collaborative process with the Pacers.
Complementing the center-hung is more than 600 square feet of 1.5mm fine pitch LED providing high-definition viewing experiences in Bankers Life Fieldhouse Courtside and West Sideline Premier Club locations. The fine pitch LED displays ensure optimum experiences in the arena’s premium spaces – intended to offer experiences that rival in-home viewing and provide a return on investment for the renovation. The renovation also includes six new locations of LED vomitory displays capable of synchronizing with the venue’s courtside LED displays and 360-degree ribbon boards to create a fully immersive in-bowl experience. ANC also provided installation for the entire digital makeover.
The major focal point of the digital renovation is the new center-hung LED scoreboard which provides optimal viewing angles from every seat in the fieldhouse. The scoreboard features a four-sided rectangular primary display with approximately 3,350 square feet of dynamic video area. The four main displays are capped by custom-built LED squared off “rings,” one on bottom and one on top of the primary displays, that allow content to flow seamlessly around the center-hung. The interior of the display features a complete underbelly running the full length and width of the scoreboard structure while measuring approximately 10’ high and ensuring exceptional views of stats, game details and replays from every angle. Each façade features 4mm LED displays while combining to feature more than 40 million pixels.
“Since 1999, Bankers Life Fieldhouse has been part of the terrific resurgence of Indianapolis’ downtown as an iconic venue where millions of guests each year have enjoyed a world-class experience in an increasingly global city,” said PS&E President & COO Rick Fuson. “We have now completed the first step in modernizing the Fieldhouse, preserving what has always made it unique while creating experiences for the fans of today and tomorrow.”
Central to the all-new digital experience is ANC’s vSOFT operating platform, which synchronizes all the existing and new digital displays, including the 600 square feet of fine pitch technology, through pre-programmed and live event operation of the system. As part of the long-term partnership which began more than a decade ago, ANC integrates with the venue’s production staff to create content and operate the display system for every event at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
“While the Pacers have set an incredibly high bar for the fan experience, their method with regard to digital impact is a model for other teams looking to upgrade,” added George Linardos, CEO, ANC. “The new center-hung is one of the more creative executions on the market; and the fine-pitch LED displays in the premium areas could stand alone in creating a significant wow factor fans will remember. What we’ve been able to achieve with the Pacers – both in-bowl and throughout premium areas – brings every element of the game, the event, to life for the fans, whether in person or via broadcast.”
“For many fans, this is going to look like a whole new Fieldhouse,” said Mel Raines, Executive Vice President for Corporate Communications, Community Engagement, and Facility Operations.
