The most celebrated team in recent NBA history, the Golden State Warriors advanced to the finals five years in a row — securing three championship titles. For the past 40 years, they played in Oakland’s Oracle Arena. Now, they’ve moved across the bay. Their new home?
Chase Center.
The global epicenter of innovation
A privately financed $1.4 billion arena, Chase Center has been called a global epicenter of innovation.
In New York’s Times Square, commuters and tourists regularly look up to marvel at the spectacular Samsung LED screens overhead. And as of this October, in the state-of-the-art Chase Center, thousands of basketball fans will enjoy a similar experience. Why? Besides housing the Warriors, Chase Center is now home to the largest center-hung display in the NBA.
Powered by Samsung, the center-hung videoboard is the size of the basketball court itself. This massive 9,699 square feet of active video display integrates 15 displays varying from 6.7mm pixel pitch on the main displays and upper halo ring, to 4mm pixel pitch on the underbelly displays, massing a total of more than 26.3 million individual LEDs. In comparison, the second-largest center-hung in the league measures 6,100 square feet.
The HDR experience
“The biggest competition for sports arenas is the couch in your living room,” says Samsung VP of Sports and Spectaculars Sales Brett Unzicker. Today, people often choose to watch games from the comfort of their own homes, leaving arenas to wonder what technology they can implement to enhance the fan experience — and keep crowds coming back.
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For Chase Center, the answer is simple. Not only does the Warriors’ new center-hung dwarf its competition, it’s also the first HDR center-hung in the NBA. Now, Warriors fans can watch everything from game-winning buzzer-beaters to the sweat dripping down their favorite players’ faces — in HDR. “The colors are richer, and you can feel that,” says Samsung project manager Patrick Braley. “I’d be surprised if fans even watch the game. They’ll be watching these massive displays.”
Beyond the scoreboard
Samsung LED technologies can be found throughout the venue, adding over 50 million individual pixels, over 150 million LEDs and 50,000 feet of fiber.
Building and installing 64 displays was no simple feat. That’s why the Golden State Warriors turned to Samsung. “Our services go beyond just the scoreboard,” says Unzicker. “Samsung is a true technology partner for the Golden State Warriors.”
Beyond cutting-edge technology, Samsung also offers world-class customer service through a commitment to meeting and beating deadlines. “Opening night is opening night,” says Braley. “We have the ability to build the technology and get it installed — on time. It was a big responsibility. We excel at that.”
“We’re one of the most hardworking crews in this business,” says Braley. “We don’t take days off. We don’t take holidays. And this dedication extends to our service, too. We are a 24/7, 365-day-a year business.”
Cultivating strong customer relationships has always been paramount to Samsung — and working with the Warriors staff was especially rewarding. “The Golden State Warriors are not just winners on paper,” says Unzicker. “If you look the organization up and down, everyone is world-class.” By the project’s completion, there was no denying the camaraderie between the staff at Samsung and Golden State.
Cutting to the Chase (Center)
Thousands of people eagerly awaited the season opener at Chase Center on October 24, 2019.
Fans are in for an experience like no other. The Samsung LED displays are spectacular, the colors are vibrant and the image quality is breathtaking. “I give tours,” says Braley, “and people stop and stare in awe.”
As for the Warriors staff? Braley laughs. “They want to play with their new toys.”
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