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Churchill Downs
Project Information
- Project Location:
- Louisville, KY
- Status:
- Completed - Jan 2014
- Structure Type:
- Arena / Stadium
Scope Of Work
The 2014 Kentucky Derby marked the unveiling of Churchill Downs’ “Big Board”. This 171-foot wide by 90-foot tall video board is elevated 80-feet above the ground, reaching 170-feet in height so that fans throughout the racetrack will be able to view HD racing content. At an absolutely absurd 15,224 square feet, the Big Board at Churchill Downs is the largest 4k video board in the entire world.
Jones Sign Company provided the fabrication of the steel structure to hold the Panasonic LED screen modules as well as the installation, which took just short of 4 months. An interesting challenge for our team was that there is an underground river flowing beneath Churchill Downs. This challenge was overcome through engineering, Jones Sign Company ended up burying 12 steel beams 45 feet deep into bedrock beneath the surface. This measure ensures that the Big Board is stable enough to handle winds of up to 90 miles an hour.
The Big Board is positioned midway along the backstretch and outside the dirt course of the historic track. This position maximizes the 170-degree viewing angle for fans in the 55,638 clubhouse and grandstand seats and the tens of thousands of fans in the track’s famous 26-acre infield. It can be viewed from 1,000 feet away.
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