The Indiana Pacers could have set indoor arena records with the size of their new scoreboards. Instead, though, they thought about how to best meet their fans’ needs and worked with ANC Sports to design an upgrade that has been a welcome change.

That’s not to say the new center-hung scoreboard at Bankers Life Fieldhouse isn’t big, because it’s almost five times the size of the one it replaced. But it’s much more user-friendly than its predecessor and than similar structures around the league with a curved feature that allows even fans in courtside seats to watch replays.

Inside The Installation
The new scoreboard features twin 1080p HD video screens, each measuring 50 feet long - extending nearly foul line to foul line - by 21 feet high, about 2,800 square feet in total space.

In addition to the HD screens running the length of the court, the rectangular scoreboard is capped by a pair of 25 feet by 14 feet full 1080p HD video screens facing each baseline. 

Completing the interior portion of the Bankers Life Fieldhouse upgrade is a pair of Mitsubishi Electric Diamond Vision LED video displays, one in each balcony end zone. The displays measure 23’ by 10’ and provide fans with stats, replays, and other game-related information.

Through ANC Sports’ VisionSOFT operating system, the new audio and video upgrades work with the arena’s existing LED ribbon and digital courtside signage systems.

ANC also updated the aging audio system, head end and broadcast control room. The control room is now one of the most advanced of its kind in the world with a 1080p feed that the first of its kind in the sports world, says Chris Mascatello, executive VP of technology sales and services for ANC Sports.

“What you see on the court matches what you see on the scoreboard,” he says, pointing to a so-called reverse-angle show that’s similar to what’s done at Cowboys Stadium. “The owner (Herb Simon and Pacers Sports & Entertainment) came to the conclusion they needed to do something new” as they began discussions in April, a much later start and shorter window than many of ANC’s projects.

“(The scoreboard) really blends in,” says Mascatello, noting they developed several plans before owners decided on the rectangular orientation that includes a 45,000-pound package of a front-access scoreboard, cameras, speakers, and other gear. “It doesn’t overwhelm the arena, which was important because they pride themselves on it being a throwback sort of place.”

The new audio system “has been the most well-received piece by the fans,” says Mascatello, noting the old audio system came with the Pacers from Market Square Arena when they moved a decade or so ago. The sound system includes: six main arrays of JBL speakers, each with 10 high-power 3-way modules with double 15” woofers; high-power full-range speakers to replace catwalk-mounted and scoreboard-mounted fill speakers; and a 3D acoustic model built-in industry standard EASE platform, which will provide loudness of 106dB SPL average in spectator areas with uniformity of +/- 3dB Broadband.

In addition to delivering a wide range of high quality sound to support the new video screens, the new audio system has improved life safety announcements by improving intelligibility throughout the arena, and further enhanced the overall fan experience for all entertainment events at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

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D. Craig MacCormack

Craig MacCormack is a veteran journalist with more than 15 years experience covering local and national news and sports as well as architecture and engineering. He joined Commercial Integrator in January 2011. Follow him on Twitter: @CraigMacCormack.

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