Murrayfield’s Alive with New LED Screen and Programming Partnership

This November, Scottish Rubgy’s iconic Murrayfield stadium has not only been home to a brace of fantastic test matches, but also to a new partnership between Scottish Rugby and stadium broadcast specialists ADI.

One of two 60sqm screens and scoreboards recently installed at either end of the stadium The partnership sees ADI helping to provide a vastly enhanced matchday experience for fans, centred around the installation of two giant LED screens and accompanying scoreboards, and making Murrayfield one of the most technologically advanced stadiums in the UK. As well as the hardware installation, ADI also work closely with Scottish Rugby to produce content for the matchday broadcast, ensuring they harness maximum value from their investment.

The new installation focuses on providing a complete entertainment package for fans on matchday – as well as showing live coverage of every minute of the match, the screens broadcast a feature-packed programme for the crowds to enjoy from the moment they arrive.

The launch day match against the mighty All Blacks was a fine example of a number of ADI’s departments working together to deliver an integrated solution. Whilst the Installation team had been busy with the hardware in the weeks leading up to launch, ADI’s Production Department had been working with Scottish Rugby to create and compile the matchday programming for the giant 60m²screens.

The screens are operated from the ADI-installed control suite, which looks out directly onto the pitch Key to this was the 90 minute pre-match programme, to entertain the crowd and build up excitement prior to kick-off, which featured highlights of recent matches, interviews, programming promoting the Scotland team and Scottish Rugby’s “We Are Scotland” campaign and promotions for future Scottish Rugby events. ADI compiled the programme from a number of sources, as well as producing dedicated content themselves, to create programming that was exciting, informative and promotional for Scottish Rugby.

Shortly before kick-off, the screens switched to live match coverage, showing content from the BBC’s cameras, as well as from a pitch-side cameraman provided by ADI’s Broadcast department, giving additional close-up shots of the pre-match pipe band and interviews, including one with Scotland’s greatest ever Olympian guest Chris Hoy. As the players’ names were read out by the stadium announcer, both the screens and digiSCORE scoreboards broadcast ADI-produced animated teamsheets to great approval from the 60,000 crowd.

As the match kicked off, the screens broadcast live coverage of every minute of the match and replays of the main decisions. With a 60m² screen at either end of Murrayfield, everyone was guaranteed a great view of all the action, whilst the two huge 26m²digiSCORE scoreboards kept the crowds up to date. The scoreboards bring the impact and flexibility of LED technology to the scoreboard environment. They are powered by an intuitive, custom-built software package, which allows the scoreboards to play out full video and picture content, greatly enhancing the value of the platform.

ADI will continue to work with Scottish Rugby for each match, managing, operating and maintaining the screens and scoreboards, as well as creating matchday content and managing programming.

A Scottish Rugby spokesperson said: “We decided to go for permanent screens, to improve the match day experience for supporters at Murrayfield, and also to enhance the world-class facilities that we have at Murrayfield, facilities that play a key part in attracting major events to Edinburgh.

"Aside from the technological aspect of the installation, we chose ADI as our screen partner due to the added value they could provide. There is also a safety element to the installation; we hope that fans will arrive earlier to be entertained by the pre-match programming, helping with crowd management by spreading entry over a longer period."

One of the huge digiSCORE scoreboards in action for an Edinburgh club match Robin Currie, Sales Manager at ADI, commented: “It gives us great pride to partner with Scottish Rugby as their screen provider to one of the UK’s leading and most iconic stadiums.  Our partnership with Scottish Rugby has only just begun with the screen installation – we look forward to continuing to work closely with them to ensure that they exact maximum value from their investment.”