At 15,000+ sq. ft., it’s the MLB’s second-largest main video display
Times are a-changin’ in the Motor City: the Detroit Lions were one win away from the Super Bowl after more than three decades without a playoff victory, the Red Wings finished over .500 for the first time since 2015-16 and almost made the playoffs, and the Tigers are a young team playing in front of Major League Baseball’s second-largest main video display. At approximately 67 ft. high by 185 ft. wide with a lower component nearly 35 ft. by 96 ft., the videoboard offers Comerica Park an abundance of LED real estate for entertaining the team’s passionate fanbase.
Enhanced fan engagement is the primary goal of the new videoboard at Detroit’s Comerica Park. (All photos: Allison Farrand/Ilitch Sports)
“Detroit sports are on the cusp of something great,” says Pete Soto, VP, game presentation and fan experience, Ilitch Sports + Entertainment (IS+E). “I’ve been able to experience fanbases in different places throughout my career, and this town has the most passionate fans I’ve ever had the chance to work for.”
One Year Ago: Soto Joins IS+E at Start of Project
Months before the videoboard installation began, Soto made the move to IS+E during the middle of the 2023 regular season. Having worked with the Atlanta Falcons and their opening of Mercedes-Benz Stadium and with the Los Angeles Chargers during their first year in SoFi Stadium, he joined the company at just the right time. Aligning with the ideals of Ilitch Holdings President/CEO Chris Ilitch and IS+E President/CEO Ryan Gustafson, Soto brought the pedigree of a seasoned industry veteran.
“They have a wonderful vision that’s centered around the fan experience,” says Soto. “I was happy to hear [their vision] because I wanted to push this videoboard as hard as I could.”
Their goal of revamping the game-day experience at Comerica Park has produced a massive videoboard behind the left-field fence. Supplied by Daktronics, the main display has more than 15,000 sq. ft. of LED real estate, 14.1 million pixels, and 10-mm pixel spacing. In addition, the stadium has two new ribbon boards: one along each baseline and measuring roughly 3.5 ft. by 75 ft. with 10-mm pixel spacing. In addition, there are two long, narrow (more than 0.5 ft. by 92.5 ft.) displays with 6-mm pixel spacing along the front edge of each dugout roof, and a display below the main videoboard measures almost 5 ft. high by 96 ft. wide.
To handle the new 1080p- and IP-capable videoboard, the control room at Comerica Park will receive an upgrade during the offseason.
Although 1080p- and IP-capable, the videoboard is currently being driven by the control room that ran the previous LED structure. The control room will be updated during the offseason, with the promise of HDR productions in the future, but, for now, the crew is working with that they have.
“We’re making it work this season,” says Soto. “We’re doing some really challenging things, which is testing our control-room capacity, but we’re having fun with it.”
Race Against Time: Crew Gets Display Ready Before Opening Day
With any ambitious project of this size, there are headaches and hiccups. For the Tigers, the problem was not if the videoboard would be finished but whether it would get up in time for the team’s home opener against the Oakland Athletics on April 5. Luckily, the team began the 2024 season with six games on the road over eight days. That schedule gave the crew more time to get the structure in place and operations in order before first pitch. The biggest test in the videoboard’s infant stages wasn’t the first three games but the eight-game homestand with nearly a week straight of games at Comerica Park.
Another factor that didn’t help: the harsh weather of early spring in Detroit. “In cities like Atlanta and Los Angeles, the weather doesn’t really factor into a build,” notes Soto, “but, in a place like Detroit, it’s sometimes too cold to work outside. We had some delays in the offseason, so we didn’t get the videoboard fully functioning until seven days before Opening Day.”
The ballpark also has a handful of other enhancements, so the videoboard was only one item on a laundry list of tasks. When construction and installation of the new display reached a comfortable phase for the crew to experiment with it, Soto hit the gas on implementing some of the new ideas. From a technological perspective, Ross Video’s XPression Tessera is powering the new elements on the display. Creatively, Ross Video’s Rocket Surgery played a huge role in the details of the content shown on game day.
Comerica Park also has two new ribbon boards, two new dugout displays, and a new display beneath the LED videoboard.
“One of the things I love to do is try to get the best out of the partners I work with,” says Soto. “I sat down with Rocket Surgery to see some examples of things that they did with Philadelphia, San Diego, and Cincinnati. I pushed them to create some sort of environment that we could use to move around and expand.”
The result was a Grand Theft Auto–inspired version that featured multiple backdrops and virtual settings. Other themes this season are used for games when the players wears their new City Connect uniforms, which debuted on May 10 vs. the Houston Astros. To provide a good time and keep the most eagle-eyed of fans engaged in the videoboard material, Soto likes to add Easter eggs for spectators to catch if they can.
“I love to keep the fans on edge and have them always looking around to see what else they can see,” he says. “I want our fans to be immersed when they walk through our gates and get lost in the experience for a few hours.”
