Denver Broncos Upgrade With New Main Videoboard, 1080p HDR-Capable Control Room at Empower Field at Mile High

Diversified, WJHW were at the center of the project

The new ownership of the Denver Broncos is making a significant investment in the franchise, particularly with technological upgrades at Empower Field at Mile High. The most notable additions have been a 72- by 225-ft. main videoboard, which is now the fifth-largest and the tallest main end-zone video display in professional football, and two revamped 1080p HDR-capable control rooms.

“With new ownership, a new coach, and new expectations, there’s a lot of excitement around,” says Denver Broncos Director, Broadcast and Technical Operations, Pat Jordan, adding, “This is only the beginning.”

Prep Work: Diversified, WHJW Provide Systems-Integration Services in Denver

At the conclusion of the 2022-23 NFL season, the Broncos’ ThunderVision production team got right to work on the transformation. With the financial backing and full investment of the new ownership group, conversations with Daktronics in August 2022 turned into full-fledged action during winter and spring in the Mile High City. The main videoboard was built in the lower bowl by Mortenson, and the crew also consulted with the experts at WJHW.

Construction continues on the videoboard on April 10, 2023. (Photo: Ben Swanson/2023 Denver Broncos)

“They were instrumental in the scoreboard because our main display in the south end zone is double the size of [our previous fixture], and it’s raised by 10 ft.,” says Jordan. “[This decision] required a new structural design, which impacted the team store and ticket office underneath, so they had to renovate those spaces as well.”

During early conversations, the sports-production industry was still feeling the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, including shipping delays in the supply chain. But the team was able to make the right choices on equipment and had the foresight to order in advance.

“We were able to get equipment well within our window of time,” says Jeremy Wecker, senior manager, broadcast engineering, Denver Broncos. “We made decisions based on things that were definitely available versus things that we weren’t sure we could get in the timeframe.”

To power the new LED displays, the crew needed to upgrade control-room workflows and selected Diversified for systems integration. The result is two 1080p HDR-capable control rooms: one main space and a secondary space.

“It’s one thing to be capable of HDR and another to realize it in a stadium environment,” says Lane Baird, account executive, sports and live entertainment, Diversified. “By partnering with the creative production minds at the Denver Broncos and adding the Daktronics’ massive LED display color pallet, we were able to build a stunning HDR system. Fan engagement and enthusiasm has increased tenfold since this integration was brought to life – showing that by working together the team provided exactly the type of unforgettable experience we sought to create.”

Coordinated Approach: Team Overcomes Videoboard’s Immense Size, Tight Deadlines

With 77% more LED than in the previous version, the crew faced unexpected obstacles. For instance, the massive size of the videoboard made it impossible to see the entire board from the control room near the top of the venue.

“One of our bigger challenges was making sure that everybody has eyes on the videoboard,” says Wecker. “We’re using Canon robotic cameras and making a digital composite of the board to see what’s going on at all times. We’re also distributing [the digital mosaic] around the rest of the stadium so that anybody affected by sightlines has something to see.”

The exterior of the main videoboard at the south end zone (Photo: Ben Swanson/2023 Denver Broncos)

An audacious project of this magnitude has its fair share of challenges, and ThunderVision needed an extra gear to complete the job before the Broncos’ first preseason matchup, vs. the Los Angeles Rams on Aug. 26. Luckily, Jordan and Wecker on the engineering section of the team have a stellar rapport with their production colleagues, including Game Entertainment Manager Liz Coates and Manager, ThunderVision Content and Presentation, Nick Schultz.

“This is entirely new to everyone,” notes Wecker, “but there has been a lot of respect on both sides and a lot of understanding about what’s possible. We try to give [the production team] every tool to match whatever ideas they come up with, because, at the end of the day, that translates to the fans and that’s what we’re here for. Thankfully, a lot of our production team is very technically sound, so we all work well together.”

Under the Hood: New LED Firepower, Improved Control-Room Tech

Deploying largely Ross Video solutions and services, the control room houses an Ultrix Acuity production switcher, XPression graphics, Piero 1st and 10 technology, and two Ultrix FR12 upgrades (with the second frame loaded with router I/O and four carbonite switcher blades for LED CMS). Evertz also has a heavy presence in the new space: DreamCatcher replay with 36 inputs, 10 outputs, and seven dedicated operators; DC-Metadata-Copilot to power the NFL’s Game Statistics & Information System for automated highlight clipping; an EQX16 288×288 router with Magnum Control; and 448×28 3G 16 PIPs per display for multiviewing. Also on hand are a Lynx Technik test generator; Riedel Communications Intercom system; Telestream PRISM for measurement scope and rasterization; Adder Technology’s KVM solutions, including ADDERLink INFINITY Manager, ADDERLink INFINITY 2020, and ADDERLink INFINITY 101T and 100T dongles; and an Allen and Heath dLive S7000 audio console with DM64 mix rack. In the lower bowl, the team deploys Sony HDC-3500 cameras, Canon U111X8.3B and CJ20ex5B lenses, Canon CR-X500 robos, and wireless connectivity via Wave Central Sony side-panel 4K transmitters.

The main control room at Empower Field at Mile High has 1080p HDR capabilities.

LED displays inside the stadium total 24,500 sq. ft. of real estate. Besides the main videoboard, there are 24 displays, including two 3- by 98-ft. north-end corner displays, eight 3- by 9.5-ft. vomitory displays, and three 3.5- by 14.5-ft. tunnel displays. The lower-bowl displays have 10-mm pixel spacing. In club spaces are eight 9- by 16-ft. LED displays with 2.5-mm pixel spacing and two 11- by 20-ft. structures with 1.5-mm pixel spacing. In the main concourse area, a 7- by 28-ft. forced-perspective display features 1.9-mm pixel spacing. Overall, Empower Field at Mile High now has 55 LED displays, combining for more than 30,000 sq. ft.

Prosperous Path Forward: New Leadership Encourages ThunderVision To Push Tech Envelope

In the 22nd season at Empower Field at Mile High, the Broncos have seen numerous iterations of broadcast and in-venue technology over the years. Wecker, who has been with the franchise on a full-time basis since 2009 and had worked as a freelance AV technician five years before that, has witnessed the transformation firsthand.

“One of the exciting things about being with the organization for a long time,” he says, “is that this is the third control room and third round of LED displays that I’ve seen. It has been awesome to see how our fans have evolved with those technologies, and the energy we’ve seen in the first two games has been at a very high level.”

A secondary control room at Empower Field at Mile High was also refurbished.

With a new tech foundation in place, the skies are the limit in Denver. Jordan sees the commitment to enhanced game-day productions, as well as the new ownership’s goal of improving the team’s play on the field, as portending a new age of Broncos football.

“We’re looking at implementing some great elements moving forward,” says Jordan. “It has been great working with Jeremy and the rest of the team, and we’re all excited about the future.”

The Denver Broncos have seven more home games in the 2023 NFL regular season: vs. the New York Jets on Oct. 8, vs. Green Bay on Oct. 22, vs. Kansas City on Oct. 29, vs. Minnesota on Nov. 19, vs. Cleveland on Nov. 26, vs. New England on Christmas Eve, and vs. the Los Angeles Chargers on New Year’s Eve.