Behind the Scenes: NFL Conference Championships

A look at the technology inside Gillette Stadium and the Georgia Dome, hosts of the NFL’s AFC and NFC Championships.>

Jessica Camerato
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The action will be on the field on Sunday as Gillette Stadium and the Georgia Dome host AFC and NFC Championship games, respectively, between the New England Patriots – Baltimore Ravens and the Atlanta Falcons – San Francisco 49ers.

There will be plenty going on in and around the stadiums, too.

These stadiums have continued to enhance the fan experience through updating technologies, installing new solutions, and re-purposing existing products for new features.

Gillette Stadium features a Daktronics LED video display system behind each end zone. The south end zone high definition video screen is 41.5’ by 164’, while the north end zone video display is approximately 45’ by 100.’ Gillette Stadium also features Daktronics digital LED ribbon board displays.

Gillette Stadium
Location: Foxborough, MA
Opened: 2002
Capacity: 68,756

For fans who want to keep an eye on the game when they’re in line for concessions or walking around the concourse, Gillette features 100 SunBriteTV 46-inch all-weather TVs. Last summer Gillette Stadium installed a new Wi-Fi system that can be used for point-of-sale information, data offload, and more.

The Georgia Dome has gone through renovations in recent years to enhance the overall fan experience. These projects include: tripling the size of the video screen (the old video screens were then re-purposed and used in a new marquis outside the stadium to display advertising to event information), replacing the PA system with mostly JBL and Harman products, installing over 800 HD TVs around the stadium (including two per suite, 42” and 26”), and upgrading the Wi-Fi to provide free connectivity to everyone in the stadium.

Georgia Dome
Location: Atlanta, GA
Opened: 1992
Capacity: 71,250

Like Gillette Stadium, the Georgia Dome also features a Daktronics scoreboard. Their video displays and LED signage are made by Opto Tech from CBS Outdoor. The 290-foot high roof includes 798 lighting fixtures.

Falcons owner Arthur Blank is reportedly interested in creating a new stadium for the team.

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