Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Daktronics Videoboard Tops Renovation at TD Ballpark in Dunedin, FL

24/01/2020

Daktronics Videoboard Tops Renovation at TD Ballpark in Dunedin, FL MLB Blue Jays' spring home is regular-season home of minor-league Dunedin Blue Jays By Kristian Hernandez, Associate Editor

Thursday, January 23, 2020 - 7:00 am

Print This Story

Story Highlights

Next month, half of Major League Baseball's 30 teams will head south to the Sunshine State for a potential first step toward a World Series. The Toronto Blue Jays will be treated to a revamped TD Ballpark in Dunedin, FL, when they reach Spring Training. The $102 million project includes a 23- by 40-ft. Daktronics videoboard and an improved audio surround system. When the MLB club heads back north of the border, the Advanced-A Dunedin Blue Jays will reap the benefit of this multi-year renovation.

The 23- x 40-ft. Daktronics videoboard is the centerpiece of a $102 million renovation project at TD Ballpark in Dunedin, FL.

It's a full Daktronics [renovation], says David Evans, entertainment coordinator, Dunedin Blue Jays, who is in his first year with the organization. They've come into TD Ballpark and installed a whole new videoboard and a state-of-the-art surround-sound system, so this is going to be all-new and fresh for the fans coming this spring. [The board] is a 15HD-pixel layout, so it's specifically set up for outdoor viewing, and it's going to look pretty awesome.

Up to the Wire: Project Continues 'Til Opening Day

Since Pinellas County approved the plan in April 2018, it has been a pretty chaotic time. With the venue hosting both temporary and more-permanent residents - Toronto's Spring Training runs from February to mid March; Dunedin's season is April-September - the agenda needed to be cleared by the necessary individuals from all participating parties.

It takes time to iron out the details between the county, city, state, and the two teams, Evans explains. It has been a joint venture to figure out how everyone gets what they want and know that [each party] is happy with the end result.

When the plan was signed off and received the greenlight, the team began working on upgrading a videoboard that had seen better days.

Our old videoboard was something from the 1980s, he says. It was just a line score with a digital input of the numbers and one small double-layered tech strip where we put the player's name and what he did so far that day.

The project is slated for a completion date of Feb. 19, but, with Toronto's first exhibition game vs. the Atlanta Braves a few days later, on Feb. 24, Evans and his staff are handling a lot of the prep work before the last piece of dirt is put into place.

We'll have a pretty short window, he says. I'm creating all of the content for the [videoboard] now. That's all of our headshots, player graphics, trivia, and other elements.

As for the overall construction, the staff in Dunedin is kicking operations into overdrive to reach the finish line.

The bulk of the work was done this past year, says Evans. A lot of the games and other activities were done in the complex adjacent to the stadium, so the work could be done over here. It hasn't really been done in phases since it has all been done this offseason, but we're working right up to the buzzer.

A Blue Jays Family: Establishing Synergy With the Club

In professional baseball, there is a lot of interaction among the levels of the organization. Just like players receiving instruction from coaches at the highest level, an entertainment coordinator can pick up tidbits of advice from the team.

In regard to Spring Training, I work closely with Mike Christiansen [director, technical production and broadcast services, Toronto Blue Jays], says Evans. [Mike and his staff] will be coming down here a couple of weeks before [the start of Spring Training], and we're going to have our meetings to create an atmosphere that fans are used to having in Toronto.

To establish that synergy, Evans and his four other staffers will use three Daktronics essentials in producing their show. For Spring Training and the entirety of the Dunedin season, DakStats will handle live updates and statistics, the All Sport 500 console will toggle scoring elements, and Show Control will serve as the central hub for the videoboard with graphics integration. For even more precision, the staff will be using DMP-8304 Media Players as the primary graphics engine as well as VIP-5160 display processors to adjust lighting and color.

Despite not having MLB-level equipment, Evans wants a seamless production that parallels the show done in the Rogers Centre. For fans, coming to Dunedin will be like swiping your passport for a trip to Toronto.

It'll feel very familiar and comfortable, he says. I want to hit on all of the traditions that they do in Rogers Centre: [for example], if they have a certain song that they want to be played when the gates open or play OK Blue Jays' after the seventh-inning stretch. I want the synchronicity between both ballparks.

Playing Loose: Minor-League Structure Enhances Fun, Fan Interaction

In the minor leagues, fan entertainment and marketing material are run by a different set of rules. With a 2020 promotional schedule that has nights dedicated to hurricane preparation, fishing, and both beer and bacon, Evans will be able to express a more lenient sense of creative when the major-league team leaves the premises.

After Spring Training, there is a bit more flexibility and freedom for the Single A [schedule], Evans explains. It's a little looser. It's not Major League Baseball, but you still want to make a fun atmosphere for fans.

For the first couple of months of this year's schedule, Evans will have to keep an eye on the normal duties of an MLB in-venue production, which includes sponsorship responsibilities and speci
LINK: https://www.sportsvideo.org/2020/01/23/daktronics-videoboard-tops-reno...
See more stories from svg

North America Stories

07/07/2026

Disagreements Abound Over the Adequacy of C-Band Replacements

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

07/07/2026

Cameras Become More Connected to Production Workflows

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

07/07/2026

NFL on TV: Time to Move the Regulatory Goal Posts?

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

07/07/2026

Building a Future-Ready Facility for Tomorrow's Broadcasters

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

07/07/2026

Rewriting the Control Room: How Broadcasters Are Going Remote

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

07/07/2026

Fincons Group appoints Andrea Fravega as Global BU Media...

The appointment will drive growth and innovation across the Media Business Unit Fincons Group, a leading IT business consultancy and systems integrator company...

07/07/2026

Big Blue Marble debuts next-gen ultra low latency MoQ str...

International broadcast and streaming expert Big Blue Marble has announced a multi-month Proof of Concept (PoC) for Media over QUIC (MoQ) during a major interna...

07/07/2026

Leader provides Test and Measurement for global broadcast...

Test & measurement innovator, Leader Electronics of Europe, is proud to announce that two of its leading products, the PHABRIX Qx rasterizer and LeaderPhabrix L...

07/07/2026

Clear-Com Powers Ross Production Services Mobile Producti...

Clear-Com announced that Ross Production Services (RPS), a leading provider of mobile production solutions for live events and broadcasts, has standardized on ...

07/07/2026

Q Era Innovations Take Center Stage for LiveU at IBC2026

LiveU redefined live newsgathering with the invention of cellular bonding. At IBC2026, Stand 7.C24, the company will show how that foundation is evolving into t...

07/07/2026

Camera to Cloud Meets Camera to Timeline LucidLink Unifi...

LucidLink, a leader in cloud-based file services for content creators, today announced an enhanced workflow integration between LucidLink and Adobe Frame.io tha...

07/07/2026

Comcast's Sky to Acquire ITV Media and Entertainment

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

07/07/2026

Digital Alert Systems Details ATSC 3.0 EAS Capabilities to FCC

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

07/07/2026

July 06, 2026

Scripps Research scientists train the immune system to make antibodies against numerous HIV strains Preclinical findings mark progress toward a long-sought vacc...

06/07/2026

Inside OneSoccer's FIFA World Cup Ops: Canada's Soccer Network Goes Behind the Scenes for CanMNT's Historic Moment

Long-developed relationships and informal access, three production models, and c...

06/07/2026

Lumine Group Acquires Imagine Communications, Continues To Build Portfolio of Media Businesses

The deal follows Lumine's recent acquisition of Synamedia's video-networ...

06/07/2026

SVG All-Stars: Stuart Mitchell, Senior Coordinating Producer, Spectrum SportsNet LA

This former SportsCenter producer is shaping local-team studio coverage to surro...

06/07/2026

Case Study: How IMS Productions and FOX Sports Scaled Coverage of the 109th Indianapolis 500

IMS Productions and FOX Sports deployed more than 100 cameras, 32 onboard feeds,...

06/07/2026

Lumine Group Completes Acquisition of Synamedias Video Network Business

Lumine Group Inc. has announced the completion of its acquisition of the Video Network Business from Synamedia. The business will operate as a standalone compan...

06/07/2026

NASCAR and Motorsport Network Announce Content and Commercial Partnership

NASCAR has announced a content and commercial partnership with Motorsport Network, a motorsports and automotive media platform, to distribute NASCAR original co...

06/07/2026

Versant To Acquire Full Swing for Approximately $530 Million

Versant Media Group has announced a definitive agreement to acquire Full Swing, a sports technology company, from Bruin Capital and a group of minority investor...

06/07/2026

DAZN Secures Global Rights to 3ICE Hockey

DAZN has announced global broadcast rights to 3ICE, a professional hockey format featuring three skaters and a goalkeeper per side, with no power plays or offsi...

06/07/2026

Digital Domain Appoints Industry Veteran Patrick Davenport as Executive Vice President, Operations

Digital Domain Appoints Industry Veteran Patrick Davenport as Executive Vice Pre...

06/07/2026

Gravity Media USA appoints Brittney Boston as Head of Business Development

Gravity Media USA appoints Brittney Boston as Head of Business Development Brie Clayton July 6, 2026 0 Comments The strategic new appointment supports...

06/07/2026

Remote Editing Without Cloud Storage in Resolve

Remote Editing Without Cloud Storage in Resolve Michael Cioni July 6, 2026 0 Comments This is a step-by-step guide that demonstrates how to setup your...

06/07/2026

Automatic Caption Translation in Adobe Premiere Pro

Automatic Caption Translation in Adobe Premiere Pro Colin Smith July 6, 2026 0 Comments Here I showcase the innovative automatic caption translation f...

06/07/2026

Flavor's FirstEver Managing Director Neal Cohen Retires; Longstanding Executive Producer Kate Smith Rises to Lead the Studio

Flavor's First Ever Managing Director Neal Cohen Retires; Longstanding Execu...

06/07/2026

How Adam Rosenwach Pivoted from Music to Medtech Without Missing a Beat

How Adam Rosenwach Pivoted from Music to Medtech Without Missing a Beat What do the rehearsal room and the boardroom have in common? More than you might think...

06/07/2026

Zhongyi Optics unveils the Dreamy Zone T1 FF Cine Lens Series on Indiegogo with the first drop

Zhongyi Optics unveils the Dreamy Zone T1 FF Cine Lens Series on Indiegogo with ...

06/07/2026

NVIDIA and Hugging Face Bring New Models and Frameworks to LeRobot for the Open Robotics Community

Open source AI has shown how quickly developers can innovate when models, data a...

06/07/2026

How Nations Are Deploying AI for Strategic Priorities

Nations have long invested in domestic infrastructure to advance their economies, protect and use their data, and take advantage of technology opportunities in ...

06/07/2026

How Open Models Are Driving AI Research

Every year, the International Conference on Machine Learning (ICML) reveals where thousands of AI researchers have decided to put their work. This year's ...

05/07/2026

Fox Sports AR/XR Studio Graphics Team Shows Power of Next-Generation Operations

We've gone to another level of integrating the graphics into the set architecture' - Zac Fields, SVP, Graphic Technology and Integration, FOX Sports...

04/07/2026

Inside OneSoccers FIFA World Cup Ops: Canadas Soccer Network Goes Behind the Scenes for CanMNTs Historic Moment

When Canada qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2026, OneSoccer knew this wasn'...

04/07/2026

Blackmagic Design Cameras Empower Youth Broadcasting Program

Blackmagic Design Cameras Empower Youth Broadcasting Program Brie Clayton July 3, 2026 0 Comments Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro and Blackmagi...

04/07/2026

iZotope Joins Boris FX

iZotope Joins Boris FX Boris Yamnitsky July 3, 2026 0 Comments iZotope, the team behind RX and Ozone, is joining Boris FX. A letter from founder Boris...

03/07/2026

Broadcast Solutions Acquires BFE

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

03/07/2026

AdClarity Expands CTV Offering to 20 Countries

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

03/07/2026

Mountain West Conference Launches SVOD Service With New Revenue Model

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

03/07/2026

Death Star

Death Star Andy Marken July 2, 2026 0 Comments Look, I can't get involved. I've got work to do. It's not that I like the Empire; I hate i...

03/07/2026

Berklee's New Visual Identity: Honoring Our History, Building for What's Next

Berklee's New Visual Identity: Honoring Our History, Building for What's...

03/07/2026

July 01, 2026

Scripps Research scientists awarded $2M to advance global disease surveillance Two Gates Foundation grants will expand wastewater surveillance and AI-driven dis...

03/07/2026

July 02, 2026

Joan Pulupa joins Scripps Research faculty to study the organization of DNA in brain cells and its links to neurodegeneration Using smell-sensing neurons and ad...

02/07/2026

SVG Students To Watch: Abby Finke, University of Dayton

Entering her senior year, this hometown girl is paving a career in live sports production gaining experience in replay and audio and as a TD In the live-sports...

02/07/2026

SVG GameDay, Ep. 22: Winnipeg Jets Kyle Balharry - Going to Work in the Great White North

In-venue and creative video staffers at the professional and collegiate level ha...

02/07/2026

BLAST Reports $133 Million in 2025 Revenue, Opens New York Headquarters

BLAST, a competitive entertainment company focused on esports, has announced more than $133 million in revenue for 2025, representing more than 40% year-over-ye...

02/07/2026

Riedel and SKAARHOJ Expand Collaboration with SimplyLive Integration

Riedel Communications has announced official SKAARHOJ panel support for SimplyLive production workflows, enabled through the SimplyLive 2.1 release. The integra...

02/07/2026

Czech Fire Rescue Service Deploys LiveU Video Transmission for Emergency Operations

The Fire Rescue Service of the Czech Republic has deployed LiveU video-over-bond...

02/07/2026

Gravity Media USA Appoints Brittney Boston as Head of Business Development

Gravity Media USA has announced the appointment of Brittney Boston as Head of Business Development, effective July 1, 2026. Based in Nashville, Tennessee, Bosto...