Shahid Khan Building Enormous In-Stadium Video Screen (Jaguars)

[Forever Fulham]

This from the weekend's NY Times (not sure if you will be able to open it across the pond): 
http://www.nytimes.com/video/sports/football/100000002993581/making-the-nfls-biggest-screens.html?emc=edit_th_20140720&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=53324807

This is all the trend these days.  Owners think they need a humungous video screen  to attract attendees and to keep fans preoccupied.  And they are truly huge!  The screens show giant footage of player's faces, statistics, game sequence replays, etc.  (And of course, the all-important revenue-generating commercials during breaks in the game.  Mercifully, the format of soccer doesn't lend itself to sustained breaks of play during which commercials can be run, other than at half time).

I find these video screens to be somewhat bizarre.  If you are going to spend a small fortune and take the time and suffer the bother of getting to the game to watch it 'live', then why shove a giant TV screen in front of you when you get there?  Why not just stay at home then?  I mean, you can't help but start watching the screen rather than the field. 

When Jerry Jones' giant Mitsubishi video screen, weighing over a million pounds, was finally installed inside Dallas Cowboy stadium, now called the AT&T something or other stadium, above the field, with specially reinforced roof beams to hold the phenomenal weight, I got invited to see it in action.  An NFL punter can just barely hit the bottom of the video screen on a lucky Herculean try.  Seen it done twice.  Anyway, you find yourself staring at the screen instead of the field.  It's unnerving.  And there's something really wrong about its presence.  The whole idea of going to a game is the 'live'-ness of the scene.  The screen, in my opinion anyway, tends to remove the attending fan from the moment, making him or her more passive, still, and ever-bombarded with factoids, human interests bits, endless replays.  It's as if the Roman Gladiator games needed more spectacle, more death, more, more, more.  It's as if the game itself just isn't enough any more.  Cheerleaders, half time shows, pneumatic guns shooting T-shirts into the stands, Kiss Cameras, and God knows what else.  When did the experience of going to a game for the game become insufficient.  Listen to Khan in this video talk about how they NEED this video to put bodies in seats for Jaguars games.  Wow.  I guess I'm old school.  I like to watch the game.  Just the game.  You?

[Holders]

Totally agree. I really can't see the point at all, if you go to the game you want to watch it live not on a screen but I suppose if one stadium in the US has such a screen then maybe they all want one. The one justification must be advertising revenue but thankfully that doesn't translate to football where there aren't the long breaks in play. And at least at the Cottage he'd never get planing permission - the rowing club would object. As for being able to see replays of contentious action I really don't like that as an idea as it undermines the ref- right or wrong.

[Fulham4Ever]

Screw all that , we need one of those at the Cottage immediately !

[Patrick]

Screw all that , we need one of those at the Cottage immediately !

+1000%.....the current 2 screens at the Cottage are laughable..seen bigger TV screens...hopefully we will have proper screens soon..

[Putney]

Isn't the Jags jumbotron going to be showing highlights from other games around the league? Can't imagine it'll be too interesting watching multi replays of non-stop punting.

[FancyPantsil]

There is a big concern in the NFL of declining attendance due to the relative affordability of large tvs and fantasy football.  Some people stay at home because they would rather sit in their house and watch multiple games on their 70 inch tv and follow their fantasy team.  So it makes sense if they're putting in giant screens to show highlights from around the league, which along with free wi-fi allows fans to monitor their fantasy teams from the stadium.

[K33NY]

I understand people thinking whats the point but allso thionk about how important this is for the people with reduced eyesights, those massive screens will help them see whats happening in the other end at least. I think this is good.

[The Bronsons]

I'd have a big big screen but when the game is on the only video would be replaying goals. Everything else can wait until half-time.

But half-time highlights of this and other games, scores etc., so big you can actually see them? Yes, great.

[Forever Fulham]

Tell me this isn't distracting. 

https://search.yahoo.com/search?p=photo+of+Dallas+Cowboys+video+screen&ei=UTF-8&fr=moz35&sslrd=1

Can you imagine what this would look like at the Cottage?

[fulhamben]

Isn't the Jags jumbotron going to be showing highlights from other games around the league? Can't imagine it'll be too interesting watching multi replays of non-stop punting.

yes, isnt it the red zone. even when they are showing one game on telly live they still bounce around the other games when something happens

[rogerpbackinMidEastUS]

A few of us going to the Fulham/DC United game get to see it 'unveiled" immediately after the game
and before the Carrie Underwood concert (althougth most of us will be in a bar by then, leaving our spouses to watch the concert)
Bearing in mnd the stadium has no cover/roofs at all it would be difficult to darken the screen and
even at 8.00 pm in Florida (launch time) it'll still be really sunny (hopefully)
There will be more to follow from one of our 'merry little band' who I believe will be doing a report on the game.

[fulhamben]

There is a big concern in the NFL of declining attendance due to the relative affordability of large tvs and fantasy football.  Some people stay at home because they would rather sit in their house and watch multiple games on their 70 inch tv and follow their fantasy team.  So it makes sense if they're putting in giant screens to show highlights from around the league, which along with free wi-fi allows fans to monitor their fantasy teams from the stadium.

isnt there some rule that stops a game being shown live if the attendance is at around 90% of capacity?

[jmh]

There is a big concern in the NFL of declining attendance due to the relative affordability of large tvs and fantasy football.  Some people stay at home because they would rather sit in their house and watch multiple games on their 70 inch tv and follow their fantasy team.  So it makes sense if they're putting in giant screens to show highlights from around the league, which along with free wi-fi allows fans to monitor their fantasy teams from the stadium.

isnt there some rule that stops a game being shown live if the attendance is at around 90% of capacity?

Games are only prevented from being aired within the local TV market if attendance doesn't meet that threshold.  So, for example, if a game in Jacksonville is poorly attended, that game will not be shown on TV in and around Jacksonville.  It can still be shown in other areas, and other teams' games can still be shown in Jacksonville.  This is particularly problematic in cities with large populations of transplants (I think Jacksonville may fall into this category but I'm not sure), who don't have an allegiance to the local team and might be more interested in following an out-of-market game instead; additionally, the Jaguars haven't been in existence for even 20 years yet, so even people from the area might very well support a different team.  I'm not sure if or how local blackouts impact revenue sharing (in the NFL, revenue from leaguewide TV contracts is shared among all the franchises), but certainly it's an embarrassment for a team to have their games blacked out, and something that they'll try to avoid as a result. 

[jags24]

Oh man, that gigantic screen is so corny.  What a distraction.  What they have at The Cottage is enough.  Trying to turn the stadium into a gigantic movie theater makes the games unwatchable - the ultimate irony.

Khan is worried about his attendance, obviously.  Well, gee, maybe it's because his teams are so terrible that people aren't coming.  In the cities where the NFL teams are successful, plenty of people come.

[rogerpbackinMidEastUS]

Could it be that a lot of people are now turning to 'soccer' instead of the NFL.
They saw in the WC that the game doesn't stop every 5 minutes for Budweiser/Coors adds
and that a 1 Hour game lasts 4 hours (5/6 at the Superbowl) whereas a 1 hour 30 mins
footie match lasts at most 1 hour 40 minutes with no long breaks in each half.
One thing I found over here is that a lot of people couldn't understand how a 0-0 or 1-0 game
could be exciting. Another thing they learned in the WC that wasn't true.

Their season is 3/4 months with no promotion/relegation.
and if you've little hope of even reaching the playoffs, the season is over in 8/9 weeks.
Ours is 9 months with the thrill of ups/downs    :0(

Everywhere you go now (and I think it's been like it for a while) there are goal posts on school ground
and parks.  Very little sign of the "H'

Plus next year is the ladies WC at which USA are very good, so that should maintain the impetuous attained
from this year.

All in all the NFL is going to suffer, let's hope the big screen doesn't take over in the UK unless
it shows constant replays of QPR or Chelsea conceding

[jags24]

Could it be that a lot of people are now turning to 'soccer' instead of the NFL.

No, the bigger problem for the Jaguars is that while people in Florida love football, they prefer college football teams like Miami, FSU, or Florida.  We all love "soccer" here on this message board, but when the team is 2-14 or 4-12, that speaks for itself.

[rogerpbackinMidEastUS]

Could it be that a lot of people are now turning to 'soccer' instead of the NFL.

No, the bigger problem for the Jaguars is that while people in Florida love football, they prefer college football teams like Miami, FSU, or Florida.  We all love "soccer" here on this message board, but when the team is 2-14 or 4-12, that speaks for itself.

Please say HI in the bar Saturday afternoon.

Cheers

[jags24]

Just to clear up any misunderstanding, I don't like the Jacksonville Jaguars.  My username is Jags24 because Dejagah is my favorite player and his number is 24.  I hadn't even thought about the Jacksonville/Khan connection.  *sigh*

[rogerpbackinMidEastUS]

Just to clear up any misunderstanding, I don't like the Jacksonville Jaguars.  My username is Jags24 because Dejagah is my favorite player and his number is 24.  I hadn't even thought about the Jacksonville/Khan connection.  *sigh*

I thought it might be something like that by your avatar (or what ever it's called :0)

[dino1828]

Hello I live in Jacksonville and know all about the big boards. They will be used for replays and displaying in games stats, smaller boards in the 4 corners will display the NFL redzone which is a highlight channel for the rest of the league, Ribbon boards will display fantasy football stats. Free wifi threw out the stadium so people can keep up with there fantasy football.  I'll be at the stadium and a get together at a downtown sports bar put together by Fulhum Florida group. Hope to see some of you out there.