First up: Was it a blast to be at the greatest ballpark in North America, the home of my favorite (and hometown) baseball team, and see myself on a massive LED videoboard in centerfield, measuring 100 feet wide by 38 feet high and covering an area of almost 3,800 square feet, and sporting a Red Sox jersey? You bet! It was the best experience.
In time for the 2025 opening day at Fenway Park, the home of the Boston Red Sox, LG installed the main LED videoboard in center field and a comprehensive display solution comprising 11 digital signage installations. These screens span a combined area of more than 9,000 square feet, including a 1,850-square-foot ribbon board display measuring 71 feet wide by 26 feet high.
With a focus on redefining the fan experience, LG established a strategic partnership with ANC, the agency managing stadium operations and advertising on behalf of Fenway Sports Group, the owner of the Boston Red Sox.
"Fenway Park represents more than a century of baseball history, and partnering with ANC and the Red Sox to bring next-generation LED technology to such an iconic venue is an incredible honor," said Tom Bingham, director of Vertical Markets at LG Electronics USA. "This collaboration reflects LG's commitment to transforming legendary sports venues into immersive entertainment destinations. With ANC's deep expertise in game-day operations and fan engagement, we're delivering a display experience that's as unforgettable as the game itself."
Bingham continued, "From the towering centerfield videoboard to the vibrant ribbon displays, this installation pushes the boundaries of what's possible in sports venue display technology. Every screen is engineered to captivate fans and amplify the unique energy of Fenway Park. We're proud to help redefine the in-venue experience at one of baseball's most celebrated ballparks."
Load the Bases
ANC's software platform, LiveSync, integrates Vixi Suite from The Famous Group to create a seamless and easy-to-use fan engagement experience while staying true to Fenway's Green Monster. Luke Fraser, assistant director for Red Sox Productions, has worked in video production at Fenway for nearly 13 years and is very protective of brand image. "The Famous Group makes it incredibly easy because we can keep our traditional graphic look and add little improvements to make the technology available to younger fans," he said. "If you're at a game at Fenway and look out, you're going to see the same Fenway Green."
The process for a fan to see themselves up on the big screen wearing a Red Sox uniform is simple. A fan scans the QR code, uploads a selfie, and the image is sent up to the production room.
Fraser noted that staff operating the Vixi Suite software platform often have little to no experience with it. "We have people in and out here every game, who have this as their first job, and The Famous Group has made the Vixi platform extremely easy to operate. LiveSync does the same thing, where all they do is click a button, and it works. It's a pretty seamless integration."
The Playbook and Strategy
Committing to the rollout of incorporating a fan engagement program takes planning, partnerships, and the ability to demonstrate an ROI.
Fan engagement starts at the entrance of the stadium. "It's from the entry point in the venues through the concessions, through sitting and taking in of the game and the event, and then through the exit point and out the door," Jireh Billings, ANC's head of Revenue and Partnerships, explained. "It's how do you create not just the revenue increase for the teams, but how do you increase the fan engagement. By complementing them together, you have a win-win scenario."
If you've been to a live event recently, you've likely experienced the excitement that The Famous Group enables. "We're in over 400 venues, and a big part of what we do is work directly with the teams and the leagues making sure that when you go to the ballpark, when you go to the venue, when you go to the arenas, you're really having a great experience," said Eric Burak, executive vice president of Production at The Famous Group.
"We are competing with the couch, and we're competing with the living room. And for us, a fan experience company, what we do is deliver a great experience."
Ryan Drobnich, producer of Proprietary Technology Operations at The Famous Group, concluded, "It's a great tech triangle. ANC provides the background of all the boards and the delivery of all the graphical elements, Vixi provides the tech behind the fan engagement, and then Luke and the Red Sox Productions bring it all together and create a beautiful in-game element that delivers happiness, smiles, and joy to fans every day."
