By Dave Schwab | Contributor 

Padres’ new high definition video board promises heightened experience

Padres fans will see something new at Petco Park in 2015 — major left field renovations, the centerpiece of which is a new, towering, high-definition (HD) video-display board.

Club officials said the new display board, the third largest in the major leagues and the largest in the National League — measuring 61.2-feet tall by 123.6-feet wide and covering 7,564 square feet — is going to improve the fan’s viewing experience.

“With state-of-the-art technology and the largest screen in the National League, I think that the fan’s engagement will be like never before at Petco Park,” said Matt Coy, the Padres senior director of Game Day Entertainment. “More cameras and more replay angles are all part of what ownership has given us in this new high-tech upgrade.”

The video board, made by Daktronics, is nearly five times the size of the previous video screen — which measured 30-feet tall by 53-feet wide and 1,590 square feet of surface area — and had been in place since Petco’s 2004 inaugural season.

The new all-HD board can be run full-screen to show live action or video replays, or it can be split into sections for statistical information, graphics and animations.

Padres President and CEO Mike Dee said the new video board, which is the first of its kind in San Diego, and left field seating enhancements are part of the ball club’s multi-year plan to improve Downtown’s major league baseball stadium.

“[The new video board] will significantly enhance the fan experience, while also providing the opportunity to update the left field seating area,” Dee said, adding that the Padres’ senior leadership team is “committed to continued innovation and to offering our fans the best game-day experience in sports.”

Wayne Partello, the Padres senior vice president and chief marketing officer, said the new HD video board is just the start of future planned high-tech updates.

“This ownership group has been committed from the beginning to constant improvements to Petco Park,” Partello said. “Last year, we saw a complete overhaul of the sound system, as well as the installation of a new video board at Park at the Park.”

The new left field video display board’s install design also allowed several simultaneous improvements to the left field seating area, including the addition of 171, 19-inch side seats in two new rows to the front of the Left Field Lower Box, spanning several sections.

Removal of another 110 fixed seats from the back rows of these sections made way for barstool seating. Other structural changes also included a new LED ribbon on the left field grandstand fascia, which will feature game information viewable throughout the park.

Finally, the removal of 610 fixed seats from the top of the Left Field Reserved sections will now be a social group space accommodating up to 270 people standing.

“With the All-Star Game coming to Petco Park in 2016, we expect to have the ballpark at its finest,” Partello said. “There are some plans in the works to make sure it’s ready for the international spotlight.

“The new video board and other ballpark renovations are part of a significant investment funded by our ownership group,” Partello continued, referring to the financial backing of these and future renovations. “This group has been committed, since the very beginning, to setting aside funds not only to get Petco Park’s deferred maintenance up to date, but to also go a step further in funding innovation that will make this a best-in-class facility.”

Padres administrators are promising new programs and features to go along with the stadium’s new physical upgrades.

“We definitely will be utilizing the video board to integrate new and exciting features this season and in the years to come,” Partello said. “Social media will play a big part with fan engagement on the new big screen this season.”

“Four-thousand videos will be utilized on the video board for eye-popping content that will enhance the fan’s experience each and every game,” Coy said. “Interactive features and videos will be shown along with some new and fun fan cams to make sure that fans can see themselves up on the largest video board in the National League.”

The new HD video board will also allow the team to engage more player interaction and the opportunity for more onscreen profiles.

“Features with each player will be displayed on the board this year with new and interesting questions that allow fans to get to know each player’s personalities,” Coy said. “There will be some fun and energetic videos along with more dramatic and inspiring pieces throughout each game.”

Coy said the overall goal in providing these top-of-the-line technological tools for the fans is to offer them a much greater experience.

“Every fan will find that we are treating their whole game day experience with a new and revitalized passion from an entertainment standpoint,” Coy said. “The new video board will accentuate the overall engagement of every fan to support the Padres more than they ever have before.”

The Padres home opener for the 2015 season will be against the San Francisco Giants on Thursday, April 9. For tickets, visit padres.com.

—Dave Schwab came to San Diego 30 years ago with a journalism degree from Michigan State University and has worked and freelanced for numerous dailies, weeklies and other regional publications. He can be reached at [email protected].