Featured image credit: Courtland Sutton/Washington Commanders
The Washington Commanders have engaged Anthony James Partners (AJP) and ANC to upgrade the video and audio technology at FedExField for the 2023 NFL season.
When in attendance at a Commanders game next season, the franchise has said fans should expect better visibility to game footage and improved audio, statistics, play-by-play engagement and updated graphics.
The Commanders have worked with technology consultant AJP to manage the design, procurement, and implementation of new, high definition LED video displays and a state-of-the-art distributed loudspeaker system. ANC is serving as the technology integration partner for the video displays at FedExField.
Trista Langdon, senior vice-president of operations and guest experience for the Washington Commanders, said: “The upgraded video displays and audio systems are the next steps in modernising our stadium to create an exciting and immersive gameday experience.
“The upgraded resolution will immediately improve the in-game experience for our fans by providing crisp views of video content and game information, as well as immersive play-by-play engagement.”
In total the work covers the two main endzone displays, four game-in-play displays and two ribbon displays. Michael Rowe, AJP’s CEO, said: “With the newest technology in audio, plus 8mm LED displays, you’ll be able to both hear and see a noticeable difference. FedExField will have superior sound and some of the tightest pitch screens in the NFL.”
Seeking to harness the potential of the improved displays, the Commanders will also reveal an upgraded graphics package designed in collaboration with ANC Studios’ graphics department.
NFL backs RFK Stadium effort
In other news, the Washington Post has reported that the race to be the future home of the Commanders is now highly likely to include three jurisdictions through the disclosure that the NFL will support District of Columbia Mayor Muriel Bowser’s efforts to acquire the RFK Stadium site from the federal government.
The District officially bid farewell to RFK Stadium in December, with the long-term future of its most iconic sports and concert venue yet to be determined. RFK Stadium opened in 1961 as the DC Stadium and was renamed in honour of Senator Robert F. Kennedy in 1969. After serving as a sports and concert venue until 2019, the stadium has since been closed to the public and is now undergoing selective demolition.
RFK Stadium served as the home of the NFL’s Washington Redskins (now Commanders) from 1961 to 1996 before the team moved to FedExField. RFK Stadium’s famous atmosphere spurred the team on to three Super Bowl triumphs in the 1980s and early 1990s.
It was announced in September 2019 that the 47,000-seat stadium would be demolished. Events DC, the official convention and sports authority for the District, started the selective demolition, including abating hazardous materials, in August. Major structural components are scheduled to be demolished by the end of 2023.
As the District looks to the future of the campus, Bowser is seeking the complete transfer of the 190-acre campus to the District from the federal government. The Commanders have a contract to play at FedExField until September 2027 and the team has been exploring options for a new home, with Virginia and the District of Columbia, along with Maryland, having been linked as potential locations.
The Post has now reported that on December 2, a month after Commanders owner Daniel Snyder announced he was exploring the possibility of selling all or part of the team, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell told Bowser that the league supported her efforts to obtain the RFK Stadium site from the federal government.
This, The Post stated, citing two people with direct knowledge of the call, is because Goodell wanted D.C. to be involved in the Commanders’ efforts to build a new stadium. Goodell is also said to have offered lobbying assistance from the league on Capitol Hill.
“The league and Mayor Bowser agree that Washington, D.C., should be at the table when a new site is considered,” an NFL spokesman said. “We will continue to work with the mayor’s office, the Commanders, and Congress to that end — just like we are in contact with local officials in Maryland and Virginia as they review site and stadium options.”
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