Because Air Canada Centre hosts many different types of events, MLSE needed a content management system that would allow them to quickly and easily create and deploy different types of content.
The digital signage system also incorporates lighting surrounding the screens to match the team colors and make it feel more unique (for example, if a Maple Leafs hockey game is taking place the lights are blue, while they switch to red for a Raptors game).
“One of the main goals was to retain and grow our sponsorship relationships by providing our corporate partners with a more powerful tool to reach their audience. Our digital signage deployment has delivered that and much more,” said Bob Hunter, executive vice president of venues and entertainment for MLSE.
During a sporting event, content can include a live video stream from inside the arena to ensure fans don’t miss a moment of the action when in the concourse areas.
PHOTOS: Air Canada Centre’s Unique Digital Signage
“We now have an ‘attention grabber,’” said Hunter.
MLSE has realized a new revenue stream by replacing the traditional printed posters that used to adorn Air Canada Centre’s walls with the digital signage, through content creation and ad sales. MLSE undertook a study to compare the number of impressions that their standard backlit signs received versus their new digital signage.
They found that there was a thirty-three percent increase in impressions for the digital signage compared to the backlit signs that were located in the same place.
The digital signage system at Air Canada Centre has been recognized with many awards, including an APEX Award in the Stadiums and Arenas category and the SignMedia Canada Digital Signage category winner.
“You can’t help but say, ‘Wow,” Brown says.
