Absen Installs NBA's Largest Exterior Transparent LED Display in Phoenix
2026-09-14 · via AV Magazine
A transparent mesh LED display billed as the largest exterior installation of its kind at any NBA arena has gone live at the Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, Arizona. The screen, supplied by Absen, spans the entire plaza entrance to the venue: 69 metres wide by 12.5 metres tall, covering roughly 860 square metres and delivering more than 17 million pixels at a 60fps refresh rate.
For operators of large-format outdoor LED, this is a useful reference point on scale. Transparent mesh product has been used for years on building facades and retail storefronts, but arena-scale deployments of this size are less common, and doing it at a plaza entrance where fans pass through daily raises the stakes on reliability and serviceability.
The panels sit integrated behind glass, which Absen says lets the display produce what it calls holographic-style visuals while still allowing natural light into the pavilion and preserving sightlines to downtown Phoenix. That's the core trade-off transparent LED is meant to solve: keeping a space feeling open during the day while turning it into a large-scale video surface at night or during events. The announcement does not say what the mesh transparency percentage is, nor does it give pixel pitch, brightness, or power consumption figures, all of which would matter to anyone evaluating the product for a similar project.
The central display can run independently or in sync with LED panels flanking it on either side, according to the release, allowing the venue to extend content across a wider continuous surface when needed. That flexibility matters for programming: watch parties for Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury games are the stated use case, with the plaza functioning as a gathering point for fans watching game highlights rather than attending in-arena.
OneRevel handled design, engineering, systems integration and installation. The release does not name the content management or playback system driving the display, nor does it specify a completion date beyond confirming the installation is now finished.
For venue operators and integrators, the project is another data point in the ongoing move toward treating arena exteriors as programmable media surfaces rather than static architecture. It also continues Absen's push into large-format sports venue installations, an increasingly competitive category as LED manufacturers court professional sports franchises looking to extend the fan experience beyond the bowl and into surrounding plazas and concourses.
The announcement in full
Reproduced from AV Magazine for reference. Digital Signage Magazine did not write the text below.
By AV Magazine in Displays , Sports and arenas , US&Canada September 14, 2026 0
The 860 sq metre, 17m pixel Absen LED display, which spans the plaza entrance of the Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix, Arizona, will show highlights during game-day watch parties.
The largest exterior transparent LED display at a National Basketball Association arena has completed its installation in Phoenix, Arizona.
Spanning the entirety of the plaza entrance at the Mortgage Matchup Center, the display is 69m wide by 12.5m tall, covering an area of 860 sq metres.
The transparent mesh LED display from Absen has a a 60fps refresh rate and provides more than 17 million pixels.
Integrated behind glass panelling, the solution delivers bold, holographic-style visuals while allowing natural light to flow into the pavilion and maintaining views of downtown Phoenix.
The LED panels on either side of the central display can operate independently or work in combination with it to create a continuous visual experience.
The new display will turn the plaza into a venue for game-day watch parties, allowing fans to watch highlights from Phoenix Suns and Phoenix Mercury matches.
OneRevel designed and engineered the display and supported the project’s systems integration and installation.