It is hard to believe that in the last five years, there has been so much of a technology jump. As a world society, we have made a leap from the net as an information source, to an entertainment resource. The universe of electronic scoreboards has been one of the top changes, morphing from a method to view a team’s score to hit videos on such sites as YouTube.
Sports fans have always pushed technology to move forward. Some of the first computer graphic commercials were designed for the Super Bowl. When the fans got a taste of those, they simply wanted more. With the advent of the net as a social media forum and the commonality of smartphones, the evolution of electronic scoreboards has kept up with the demand. The scoreboards are at a level of technology that they will often contain streaming video, sponsorship announcements and replays. These are both sent to a direct feed to the net as well as personally filmed on video with our cameras.
If you do a search on YouTube for electronic scoreboards, you will turn up page after page of videos. Both nationally and internationally, fans and teams are posting their videos for everyone to see. Clicking on some of the videos will show the intensity of change that has taken over the electronic scoreboard foray. Special graphic effects are side-by-side with a team’s scoring points. Sponsors can have a logo as well as an entertaining commercial. The ads themselves have been taken up to the next level, because fans don’t want a boring commercial; they want to view something that will keep their interest.
This video net opportunity opens up the doors for fans to post on their social media pages and the video goes viral. As the scoreboard video enters the world of those that are participating, each person that is part of a ‘friend’ group can view the video. It is then added, exponentially, to everyone else’s social media page.
It is not uncommon to view the news and see a special commentary on a sports video, featuring a uniquely imaginative electronic scoreboard presentation coupled with a team play. The more imaginative, the better- and the sponsors share in the glory with their own message of support being shared around the world. Whether a team wins or loses, the school and team can often become an overnight success unto themselves when the video is posted and shared.
The importance of an electronic scoreboard, the team and the net has been elevated to a level never before seen. Manufacturers are scurrying to offer more glamour, glitz, color and high tech abilities to keep up with the demand. Fans are hungry for more views, information and for those that can’t attend, the feeling that they are on the field or in the stadium. The electronic scoreboard has taken on a life of it’s own in presentation, technology and online viewing. As social media continues to increase, the concept of an electronic scoreboard will continue to increase in popularity, making the home team popularity as a ‘hit out of the park’.
For more information, go to:
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=electronic+scoreboards&aq=f
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fB9J8M8c90E