Video Walls for Stadiums & Venues: Fan Engagement Beyond the Jumbotron

The jumbotron remains the centerpiece of the modern stadium — but for venue owners and operators, it's no longer the whole story. Today's most forward-thinking stadiums and arenas are extending the video wall experience well beyond the central scoreboard, using displays throughout concourses, concession areas, and perimeter zones to keep fans engaged from the moment they arrive to the moment they leave. This shift isn't just about spectacle — it's a measurable driver of sponsorship revenue, fan satisfaction, and the case for showing up in person instead of watching from home.

This guide explores how stadium video wall strategy has evolved beyond the central screen, what's driving fans to engage with displays throughout the venue, and how operators can think about the investment strategically.

Why "Beyond the Jumbotron" Matters Now

The competitive pressure facing modern venues is real, and it's coming from the couch. The at-home viewing experience has never been better — 4K multi-angle broadcasts, real-time stats overlays, instant replays from any angle, and zero-queue concessions from your own fridge — meaning stadiums that offer nothing beyond the game itself are losing the argument for a premium ticket price, parking, and hours of commitment. Utsubo

Interactive and expanded video wall installations directly address this challenge by offering something a home broadcast simply can't replicate. Interactive installations create physical, shareable, multi-sensory moments that justify showing up — a reactive LED concourse, an AR player meet-and-greet, or a motion-tracked fan challenge don't exist on a couch. The central jumbotron still anchors the in-game moment, but the experience fans remember and share increasingly happens in the spaces around it. Utsubo

The Concourse: Where Engagement Doesn't Stop at Kickoff

One of the biggest shifts in stadium display strategy has been recognizing that fans spend meaningful time away from their seats — and that time is a genuine engagement opportunity, not a gap in the experience.

Upgraded LED installations create a centralized focal point where fans look to the main jumbotron during timeouts, while smaller secondary screens at concourses keep them engaged even when they leave their seats. Ribbon boards extend this further around the seating bowl itself. Concourse displays — shorter ribbon boards or digital signage placed in concourse areas, concession stands, and merchandise shops — guide fans, display menus, promote upcoming events, and provide real-time game updates for those temporarily away from their seats, ensuring no fan feels disconnected from the action just because they stepped away for a moment. UberDisplaysElmelaab

The most effective venues are deliberate about where these displays go. The strategy starts by considering how fans actually navigate the space — where they scroll on their phones, where they wait in line for long periods — and identifying "dead space" with passive engagement potential, such as a blank wall near a high-volume restroom or a concourse walkway that currently has no signage at all. Cri

Interactive and Real-Time Fan Experiences

The highest-value engagement windows in a stadium aren't always during the game itself. The highest-engagement window is often the one to two hours before kickoff, when fans are most receptive to motion-tracked challenges, competitions, and photo activations with AR overlays that generate shareable content. Building content and displays specifically for this pre-game window gives venues a way to extend engagement well beyond the final buzzer or whistle. Utsubo

Concession areas have become a display opportunity in their own right, not just a functional stop. Interactive technology in concession zones now supports mobile ordering to seats with real-time queue visualization and digital menu boards that adapt based on time, inventory, and game state, turning a routine errand into a smoother, more engaging part of the overall visit. Utsubo

The Business Case: Sponsorship and Revenue

Extending video wall presence beyond the central scoreboard isn't only about fan experience — it's one of the clearest revenue opportunities available to modern venues.

The data on this is compelling. NHL digitally enhanced dasherboards generated a 21% year-over-year increase in sponsorship revenue across more than 700 brands, and immersive sponsor activations deliver 75% higher brand recall than static signage, commanding 2 to 5 times the CPM. Beyond individual sponsorship deals, the shift toward dynamic digital displays generally lifts venue revenue overall: venues that have upgraded to modern LED installations report average revenue increases of 15% to 25% from advertising and premium seating, according to industry research. UtsuboUberDisplays

Consistency across the entire venue matters as much as any single screen's placement. <cite name="103">Traditional stadium sponsorships have often suffered from fragmentation — a sign on the concourse, a logo on a cup, a mention on the PA system — with none of it working in sync. The more modern approach synchronizes messaging across every screen in the building, so a fan sees the same brand story entering the stadium, buying a drink, and finding their seat, which builds stronger brand recall and drives purchase consideration.

A Real-World Example: The Pacific Northwest's Passionate Fanbases

This shift is already well underway across major venues, including two of the country's most passionate fanbases right here in the Pacific Northwest. ITS, Inc. has explored this firsthand in our companion piece, Boosting Fan Engagement: The Future of Interactive Stadium Displays in Seattle and Portland, examining how venues like Lumen Field and Moda Center are extending the in-venue technology experience their loyal fanbases have always deserved — well beyond the central scoreboard and into every corner of the fan journey.

Bringing It All Together

The stadium of the future isn't defined by a single, larger jumbotron — it's defined by a coordinated network of displays throughout the entire venue, each serving a specific moment in the fan's journey. Concourse screens keep engagement alive between innings or quarters. Perimeter and ribbon boards synchronize sponsorship messaging with the emotion of the game itself. Interactive pre-game activations give fans a reason to arrive early and stay engaged long after the final whistle.

Navigo® by ITS, Inc. has helped venues, transit gateways, and public destinations across the US and Canada design display strategies built around how people actually move through a space — not just where the biggest screen fits. Explore our video wall solutions, read more in our Seattle and Portland stadium engagement piece, see these deployments across our portfolio, and review the fundamentals in our companion guide, What Is a Video Wall?

Sources

1. Beyond the Jumbotron: Unlocking Hidden Revenue in Stadiums and Arenas — CRI
2. Top LED Scoreboard and Video Display Companies in the United States — Sports Venue Calculator
3. Stadium Interactive Installations: Fan Experience Guide 2026 — Utsubo
4. Jumbotron Screen: The Complete Guide to LED Stadium Displays — YUCHIP LED
5. 15 Creative Fan Engagement Ideas That Go Beyond the Jumbotron — OOH Sports
6. How LED Display Technology Is Transforming Stadium Fan Engagement — JMR InfraSolutions
7. Ribbon Board Stadium Displays: Elevating Fan Engagement and Revenue Generation — Elmelaab
8. LED Displays for Live Sports and Events: Case Studies From Top Venues — UberDisplays

Ready to extend your venue's fan engagement beyond the central scoreboard? The Navigo® team can help design a video wall strategy for concourses, concessions, and perimeter zones that keeps fans engaged all day long.

📞 Call us: 800.652.4830
🌐 Get started: itouchinc.com/contact-us

Headquarters: 7150 Columbia Gateway Drive, Suite L, Columbia, MD 21046
New York Location: 112 West 34th Street, 18th Floor, Room 18025, New York, NY 10001

Frequently Asked Questions

Why can't the central jumbotron alone keep fans engaged anymore?

Because the at-home experience has gotten too good to compete with using a single screen. The at-home viewing experience now includes 4K multi-angle broadcasts, real-time stats overlays, instant replays from any angle, and zero-queue concessions — meaning stadiums that offer nothing beyond the game itself are losing the argument for a premium ticket, parking, and hours of commitment. Extending engagement throughout the venue gives fans a reason to be there that a broadcast simply can't replicate. Utsubo

Do fans actually engage with displays when they're away from their seats?

Yes, and this is exactly why concourse and secondary screens have become a priority. Upgraded LED installations create a centralized focal point where fans look to the main jumbotron during timeouts, while smaller secondary screens at concourses keep them engaged even when they leave their seats. Concourse displays also serve practical purposes at the same time — guiding fans, displaying menus, promoting upcoming events, and providing real-time game updates for those temporarily away from their seats. UberDisplaysElmelaab

When during a game or event do fans engage most with interactive displays?

Often before the event even starts. The highest-engagement window is typically one to two hours before kickoff, when fans are most receptive to motion-tracked challenges, competitions, and photo activations with AR overlays that generate shareable content. Building content specifically for this pre-game window is one of the most effective ways venues extend engagement beyond the game itself. Utsubo

How should a venue decide where to place additional displays beyond the main scoreboard?

By studying how fans actually move through the space rather than defaulting to obvious locations. The strategy starts by considering how fans navigate the venue — where they scroll on their phones, where they wait in line for long periods — and identifying "dead space" with passive engagement potential, such as a blank wall near a high-volume restroom or an unused concourse walkway. Cri

Does expanding video wall presence beyond the jumbotron actually generate more revenue?

The data suggests yes, meaningfully. Venues that have upgraded to modern LED installations report average revenue increases of 15% to 25% from advertising and premium seating, and sponsorship-specific results can be even more dramatic: NHL digitally enhanced dasherboards generated a 21% year-over-year increase in sponsorship revenue across more than 700 brands, and immersive sponsor activations deliver 75% higher brand recall than static signage, commanding two to five times the CPM. UberDisplaysUtsubo

Why does sponsor messaging need to be consistent across every screen in the venue?

Because fragmented messaging weakens brand recall, while synchronized messaging strengthens it. <cite name="103">Traditional stadium sponsorships have often suffered from fragmentation — a sign on the concourse, a logo on a cup, a mention on the PA system — with none of it working in sync. Synchronizing messaging across every screen so a fan sees the same brand story entering the stadium, buying a drink, and finding their seat builds stronger brand recall and drives purchase consideration.</cite>

What role do concession-area displays play beyond just showing a menu?

They increasingly support the full transaction experience, not just menu visibility. Interactive technology in concession zones now supports mobile ordering to seats with real-time queue visualization and digital menu boards that adapt based on time, inventory, and game state, turning what used to be a purely functional stop into a smoother, more engaging part of the visit. Utsubo

Are venues in the Pacific Northwest already investing in this kind of expanded display strategy?

Yes — ITS, Inc. has covered this directly in our companion piece examining how venues serving two of the region's most passionate fanbases are extending in-venue technology well beyond the central scoreboard. Read more in Boosting Fan Engagement: The Future of Interactive Stadium Displays in Seattle and Portland.

Ready to extend your venue's fan engagement beyond the central scoreboard? The Navigo® team can help design a video wall strategy for concourses, concessions, and perimeter zones that keeps fans engaged all day long.

📞 Call us: 800.652.4830
🌐 Get started: itouchinc.com/contact-us

Headquarters: 7150 Columbia Gateway Drive, Suite L, Columbia, MD 21046
New York Location: 112 West 34th Street, 18th Floor, Room 18025, New York, NY 10001