When visitors flocked to David Allen Memorial Ballpark in Enid, Okla., to attend the 2021 National Junior College Athletic Association Division II Baseball World Series in May, they were able to follow the action on a massive new 19-foot-by-35-foot video board manufactured by Watchfire Signs.
David Allen Memorial Ballpark is a cooperative public-private partnership of the non-profit ballpark association, the City of Enid and Enid public schools. It serves as the home field for Enid High School Baseball and Northern Oklahoma College Baseball, and hosts more than 400 games a year, including several high profile tournaments.
The Watchfire 16mm video board, installed by Kline Sign, replaces a 13-year old fixed-digit combination scoreboard and video board. The new virtual scoreboard allows the park to personalize the board with team branding, and the vivid LED video display can be used to keep score, showcase players, energize fans, and provide advertising opportunities. Watchfire’s live video capability enhances fan engagement with crowd camera shots and live action from the game.
The ballpark uses Watchfire Ignite Sports software to score the game and entertain the crowd. The built-in editor is used to create player profiles for teams playing at the ballpark, and allows board operators to instantly switch from a video scoreboard with stats to live video with a few simple clicks. Advertising zones can be created using simple drag-and-drop features.
Watchfire’s video scoreboards are engineered for all-weather, outdoor sports use, and feature rapid refresh rates, high-contrast LEDs, wide-angle viewing and control room integration.
Because of the new video board’s flexibility, the City of Enid is considering hosting outdoor movie nights using the board, and is looking into hosting outdoor concerts in cooperation with the Stride Bank Center, an event center owned by the City of Enid.
“Watchfire delivered the three things we were looking for in a new scoreboard: the best quality, price and support,” said Sam Robinson, CFO of Enid Public Schools. “Enid Public Schools is very excited to have the new video board; it has received praise from everyone who visits the ballpark.”
