Bucks Monetizing Staircases at Fiserv Forum
New revenue source found in space under premium ticket holders' feet.
Milwaukee Bucks rendering of new digital stair displays.
High-definition television triggered a major opportunity for sports teams and broadcasters to fit more advertising into in-game shots. The Milwaukee Bucks have found a partner to take things to the next level with a new advertising location.
The Bucks, according to a press release, are the “first sports team in the United States to implement the one-of-a-kind technology.” What is it? Digital billboards on the risers on two sets of arena bowl stairs.
Using technology from StairMedia, the Bucks have installed the vertical billboards on the two Fiserv Forum staircases frequently shown during broadcasts. The LED screens are synced together, so instead of repeating small ads, a single large image, like a soda bottle, could be split across many screens. A demonstration image from the Bucks features the team’s deer logo displayed vertically while its “Fear the Deer” slogan is displayed on nearby horizontal displays.
“The staircase displays can feature several sponsors during a game, with advertisers seeing an estimated 25% lift in exposure when combining StairMedia signage with traditional in-arena screens,” says a team press release.
The two new displays, located between sections 116 and 117 and 117 and 118, augment in-game advertising that can be found on horizontal boards on the scorer’s tables and basket stanchions, printed on-court advertising for naming rights partner Fiserv and on-court ads that are digitally added to broadcast feeds. Additional ads can be found throughout the arena, including on the center-hung scoreboard display and ribbon boards, but aren’t normally visible to television viewers.
The vertical billboards will be visible to television watchers as well as those sitting on the non-bench side of the court.
Fiserv Forum is the fifth venue in the world to install the signage. StairMedia is headquartered in Spain.
The Bucks have previously installed printed signage on lobby staircases at Fiserv Forum, but the new displays can be digitally rotated and are visible in the background of the television broadcast.
A promotional webpage from existing display partner Daktronics says the company installed 60 LED displays with more than 14,000 square feet of available real estate when the arena was constructed in 2018.
New advertising isn’t the only thing that will change at Fiserv Forum for the upcoming season, though it might be the most visible. The team is also creating a new private club for those with courtside seats. It will feature a new VIP entrance and private bar and food menu. The club is being constructed where the media center formerly was, under the lower-level seating bowl.
If you think stories like this are important, become a member of Urban Milwaukee and help support real, independent journalism. Plus you get some cool added benefits.
