LED Vendor Lists Five Mistakes Stadiums Make Buying Perimeter Displays
2026-09-24 · via Digital Signage Today
Michael Song, overseas sales director at Shenzhen Retop LED Display Co., Ltd, published a LinkedIn post outlining five mistakes he says stadium owners and operators repeatedly make when buying LED perimeter displays. The post is a vendor's take rather than independent research, but it lands at a moment when stadium LED spending is heavy: recent projects cited by Digital Signage Today include INFiLED's work at Stade Malherbe Caen, LG and Mercedes-Benz Stadium's multi-year DVLED partnership, Samsung's 66,000-square-foot install at Allegiant Stadium, and SNA Displays' pylon retrofit at BMO Stadium.
Song's five points, as posted, are:
Brightness without environmental context. He argues a 7,500-nit screen is not automatically the right choice. Viewing distance, ambient sunlight, camera requirements and power draw should all factor into the spec, according to Song.
Fixating on sticker price. A cheaper panel can carry higher long-term costs through maintenance, shorter lifespan and more frequent module swaps, he says.
Underweighting protection and reliability. Perimeter boards take rain, wind, ball impacts and continuous runtime. Song points to IP rating, cabinet build, heat dissipation and component quality as the factors that actually determine durability.
Ignoring broadcast compatibility. For venues with TV coverage, refresh rate, grayscale performance and anti-moiré handling matter for how the display reads on camera, not just to fans in the seats.
Picking a supplier with no stadium track record. Song frames a perimeter LED system as a structural and installation project, not just a screen purchase, requiring experience with safety design and long-term support.
The post drew a response from Bob Kronman, director of Kronman Associates Limited, who added a sixth item: understanding the physical installation itself, whether the board is freestanding, wall-mounted or set on a concrete plinth, and where power and data feeds will come from. Retop's reply in the thread confirmed that site-specific information is needed to determine the mounting approach.
For buyers, the list is a useful checklist even coming from a vendor with an obvious interest in steering conversations toward total cost of ownership and away from headline nit counts. What the post does not offer is any pricing detail, specific product recommendations, or data on how common these mistakes actually are across real projects. It also does not address how these considerations change between top-tier professional venues and college or minor-league facilities with tighter budgets. Anyone evaluating a perimeter LED purchase will still need to get environment-specific numbers, warranty terms and installation costs from suppliers directly rather than relying on general guidance.
The announcement in full
Reproduced from Digital Signage Today for reference. Digital Signage Magazine did not write the text below.
All projects featuring LED technology have the same strategy and goal — boosting the fan experience. When done right displays can play a powerful role in the fan’s experience. But the wrong display can negatively impacts the fan’s experience.
September 24, 2026 by Judy Mottl — Editor: RetailCustomerExperience.com & DigitalSignageToday.com, Connect Media
Just a brief glimpse of headlines detailing digital signage and LED displays illustrates how big the technology is when it comes to stadiums, arenas and convention centers.
The French National league football club, Stade Malherbe Caen, upgraded its home venue with a LED display solution from INFiLED, working in collaboration with AV integration specialist Auvisys. The LG and Mercedes-Benz Stadium formed a multi-year partnership for the installation of hundreds of LG DVLED and LCD displays throughout the venue. The Atrium Health Amphitheater has added a digital signage network featuring 1,700 square feet of outdoor LED video technology . GoVision installed two massive LED walls at Bristol Motor Speedway. The Los Angeles Football Club and BMO Stadium partnered with SNA Displays to retrofit two freestanding LED pylons in Southern California. Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas installed more than 66,000 square feet of Samsung LED panels . Butler University is now home to 2,700 square feet of LED video displays designed to enhance the game day experience.
All those projects featuring LED technology also have the same strategy and goal — boosting the fan experience .
When digital signage and LED displays are successful the technologies can play a powerful role in a fan's experience. But if done wrong, it can drive away fan loyalty and love.
A big misstep is treating the technologies as a static communication channel and not as a connected-real time system that pulls in live data, refreshes content on a regular basis and maintains consistency.
Outdated and irrelevant content is also not a win for the venue or the fan.
In many cases a top misstep is choosing the wrong display technology, according to Michael Song , overseas sales director at Shenzhen Retop LED Display CO., LTD, based in England.
In a LinkedIn post Song mapped out the top five mistakes stadium owners and operators make when buying LED perimeter displays.
"Choosing a stadium LED perimeter display is not only about pixel pitch and price. Many projects fail because of these five common mistakes," Song wrote in the post.
Choosing brightness without considering the environment: A 7500 nits screen is not always better. The right brightness depends on viewing distance, sunlight conditions, camera requirements, and power consumption.
Focusing only on the initial price: A cheaper LED screen may mean higher maintenance costs, shorter lifespan, and more frequent module replacement.
Ignoring protection and reliability: Stadium displays face rain, wind, impact from balls, and continuous operation. IP rating, cabinet design, heat dissipation, and component quality matter.
Not considering broadcasting requirements: Modern stadiums need displays that work well with TV cameras. Refresh rate, grayscale performance, and anti-moiré technology are critical.
Buying from a supplier without stadium experience: A perimeter LED system is not just a screen. It requires structural design, safety considerations, installation experience, and long-term support.
The post also shared what a successful stadium LED project should deliver:
"The cheapest screen is rarely the most cost-effective solution," wrote Song.
The post drew interest and feedback and even one more tip when it comes to buying display technology.
Bob Kronman, director of Kronman Associates Limited, offered up a sixth mistake.
"I would add a number six. Not understanding how the perimeter display needs to be installed. Is it freestanding, mounted on a wall or cement plinth? And where are the power and data coming from?," he wrote.
"We agree that the installation requirements need to be confirmed. For the perimeter display, we will need the site information to determine the best installation solution, including whether it will be freestanding, wall-mounted, or installed on a concrete plinth/foundation."
To learn how stadiums and arenas are deploying digital signage and displays check out our topic center .
Judy Mottl is the editor of RetailCustomerExperience.com and DigitalSignageToday.com at Connect Media. She is an award-winning editor, reporter and blogger who has worked for top media for nearly four decades, including AOL, InformationWeek and Internet News, as well as for leading technology providers including HP. She’s written everything from breaking news to in-depth industry trends and reported on technology long before the internet arrived, including the debut of the first smartphone. When she's not sharing insights on digital signage deployments and trends in retail customer experience she's on the beach or watching the latest live murder trial.
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