Van Wagner Brings Warhol-Inspired Pop Art Vision to NFL Draft Videoboard Production

Integral to the Draft production for three almost decades, the company tells the NFL story, celebrates the league's 32 teams, highlights the host city

With Round 1 of the 2026 NFL Draft in the books, Van Wagner's creative and technical teams are turning the page to Rounds 2 and 3 tonight, continuing a videoboard- and event-production effort that has transformed Pittsburgh's Draft campus spanning the Allegheny River into a sweeping, city-inspired canvas. For the company, which is marking its 28th year producing the event, the Steel City stop represents another chance to fuse NFL storytelling with host-city identity on a scale unlike any other annual sports production.

I love being part of the Draft. It's probably my favorite event of the year, says Van Wagner Creative Director Aaron Fletcher. It's one of the strongest showcases of everything we do, from technical setup and logistics to the creative and show calling. There's nothing else quite like it.

This year's three-day event is split across the Allegheny River, with the Draft Theater and Main Stage located on the North Shore, using the area outside Acrisure Stadium as a natural amphitheater.

Adapting each production to a new city and stage is always a challenge that we all look forward to, says Fletcher. We work with the NFL to develop a creative approach that best highlights the host city and with Ross Video to find the most efficient way to bring this to scale and adapt to all 32 teams on the fly.

Videoboards as an Open Canvas

For nearly three decades, Van Wagner has played an integral role in the overall presentation of the NFL Draft. The company handles all LED content/creative concepts, technical integration of screens in theater and across campus, talent management and production, show calling, and overall production ideation in lockstep with the NFL.

It is an honor be a part of the growth of this event, says Lindsay Anson, VP, productions, NFL Events, Van Wagner. We truly enjoy making this unique and special in each market. [Our] goal is to entertain and engage current and future fans of the NFL while showcasing the city of Pittsburgh.

Van Wagner's approach to the Draft's extensive videoboard footprint begins with a simple premise: treat every screen as an open canvas to tell the NFL's and the fans' story in Pittsburgh. That philosophy carries across the full constellation of displays deployed throughout the theater and the broader Draft campus. This year's effort comprises seven screens, with approximately 30 million pixels for the stage/bridge scenic LED alone.

Once the stage and board layout were locked in, Fletcher led the charge to transform that blank canvas into a full suite of looks for the event: content tailored to all 32 teams alongside Pittsburgh-centric graphics woven throughout the broadcast and in-venue presentation. Fletcher and Van Wagner VP, Sports, Brian Scotty Scott built the seamless sequences that power each On the Clock and The Pick Is In moment, the backdrops behind the start of every drafted player's NFL career.

The hope is always to capture the true emotion and hope in fans that the NFL Draft and the city of Pittsburgh provides, says Anson. The balance starts with the production, the content combining iconic features of the city with the Draft, utilizing celebrities and local talent and artists to showcase the community.

A Bridge-Inspired Stage, a Warhol-Inspired Look

For Pittsburgh, creative direction is rooted squarely in the host city. The main stage and LED layout draw inspiration from Pittsburgh's iconic bridges, while the graphics and on-screen content reflect the art of native son Andy Warhol.

This year's creative is rooted in Pittsburgh itself, Fletcher explains. While the main stage and LED layout is a bridge-inspired structure, the graphics and content lean into Andy Warhol's pop art influence, which has given us a lot to work with.

That creative ethos is built to drive a sequence of escalating moments throughout each round. We approach our show with the focus of building a sequence of high-impact moments, he notes, from a team going on the clock,' integrated with live Draft data, to full-stage music videos, to the pick is in' and, ultimately, the player announcement. Each look is designed to build into a bigger moment than the last.

That momentum will continue to build toward Day 3, which Anson says has become an ode to the host city. This year, Van Wagner is focused on celebrating innovation and technology, Pittsburgh flavor, and entertainment.

A Deep Bench of Partners in Pittsburgh

Van Wagner works alongside a roster of key vendors to pull the production together. Game Creek Video is providing trucks. Ross Video is handling all graphic operations, continuing a longstanding collaboration that Anson describes as central to scaling the show across all 32 teams on the fly. Lively is managing the stage; C3 is handling theater elements. SAV is providing comms; 4Wall is on video and LEDs; LD Systems is delivering FOH audio and PA; and Professional Wireless Systems (PWS) is handling wireless.

On the Van Wagner side, the leadership group is headed by President, Van Wagner Productions, Bob Becker, with Scott playing a key role across the event. Anson serves as overall lead project manager on NFL events; Fletcher is lead creative for NFL projects; Van Wagner Director, Technology, Jeremy Havens leads engineering and tech management; and Manager, Operations, NFL Projects, Cassidy Colpoys is the operations lead. Van Wagner has a crew of approximately 110 onsite across the Draft campus.

We appreciate the consistence partnership with the NFL, Ross, and other key vendors, says Anson. We continuously strive to elevate our process and product and look forward to future innovations in th

LINK:	https://www.sportsvideo.org/2026/04/24/van-wagner-brings-warhol-inspir...
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