State Farm Arena, home of NBA basketball team the Atlanta Hawks, is to showcase the league’s first continuous 360-degree video screen when it reopens later this month.
The facility formerly known as Philips Arena has undergone extensive renovation work over the past two years and one of the main features of the redesigned venue will be the state-of-the-art screen.
State Farm Arena will also be the first arena bowl to be fitted with HD-quality, 6mm LED video display technology, creating what the Hawks claim will be the best fan-viewing experience in any NBA venue.
Other features of the $192.5m renovation will include four corner video boards, as well as upper and lower fascia displays. The total square feet of video throughout the arena will be 12,000, some 10 times more than the arena’s prior configuration.
The main video board will feature 4,477 square feet of active video display, making it one of the three largest in an NBA venue. Fans seated near the court will experience replays of the game with two additional LED video displays, which will be mounted inside of the centre-hung structure and measure 20 feet wide by nine feet high.
Steve Koonin, chief executive of the Hawks and State Farm Arena, said: “Fans will be immersed by stunning video displays no matter where they are seated in the bowl. The high-definition video will enhance the in-game experience for Hawks fans and make every fan feel like they are sitting in the first row with amazing views and clarity.”
State Farm Arena’s new LED video displays have been manufactured and installed by Prismview, a subsidiary of Samsung Electronics. Prismview’s president and chief executive, Don Szczepaniak, said: “We are thrilled to be a partner to the Hawks on this major renovation of such an iconic venue in Atlanta. From the distinctive design of the centre-hung with the added video displays conspicuously placed on the inside beneath the massive structure, to the vast amount of LED signage installed throughout the venue, it’s promised to impress.”
The renovated arena will also feature the new Players Club, the first premium club in the NBA to feature fine pitch LED video displays in 2.5mm pixel pitch. The space will feature a video display screen measuring nearly nine feet tall and 32 feet wide.
State Farm was announced as the new naming-rights sponsor of the arena back in August. The Hawks’ 20-year partnership with the financial services company will seek to transform the city of Atlanta through community initiatives such as mentorship and volunteerism. The deal is worth a reported $175m.
Image: Atlanta Hawks
