The NY Mets and Samsung reinvent the fan experience at Citi Field

When Major League Baseball’s NY Mets decided to upgrade the outdated technology at its home, Citi Field, it would be on a scale befitting of the Big Apple.

At the iconic ballpark, the Mets have been on a three-year technology transformation journey. Through a multi-phased approach, the team wanted to create the league’s most technologically advanced venue, culminating in the installation of the biggest screen in baseball.

The driving force behind the upgrade project was twofold: replace end-of-life technology and supersize the fan experience.

“We really wanted to enhance the show, do things that were never done before,” said Oscar Fernandez, senior vice president of technology at the NY Mets. “Added to that, we had real-world problems with outdated technology, so we married those two needs. It needed to feel like a brand-new experience but without the need to build a new stadium.”

The Mets’ mission to replace old, unfit technology with larger, high-definition, best-in-class LED displays would need to future-proof and align the stadium experience with the high-caliber performance the team aimed to deliver on the field.

Further, being in New York, the Mets are in one of the world’s most competitive entertainment markets. Surrounded by many sports teams, famous attractions, and Broadway, to name a few, they recognized that to remain a leading must-visit venue, they must satisfy modern attendees’ diverse entertainment needs and expectations.

The Mets looked to leverage the latest technology to create a one-of-a-kind gameday that would attract audiences and captivate crowds. With the digital display transformation, the Mets would also seek an ROI by changing from static signs throughout the stadium to digital domination, helping drive revenue. And when it’s not a thrilling gameday, the technology can support a variety of events for different audiences, from concerts and fundraisers to training and sports tournaments.

However, one of the biggest challenges was upgrading legacy systems to state-of-the-art technology without constructing a new stadium. This included installing 4K cameras and infrastructure to handle new formats, ensuring both current and future needs were met.

To achieve this, the NY Mets sought a technology partner that would be able to provide an end-to-end solution from design, manufacturing and installation of industry-leading displays.

“We wanted a partner not just from a hardware perspective but who could also offer the full gamut of design and build and be our partner holistically, both horizontally in all different areas, whether it was for TVs, LFDs or LEDs,” explained Fernandez.