Renovation Of Air Canada Centre Includes New Outdoor Screen

MLSE's Hunter Helps Show Off Air Canada Centre's New Outdoor HD Video Screen

The centerpiece of Air Canada Centre's C$48M renovation is a "startlingly-clear 50-by-30 foot high-definition outdoor screen on the west side of the building," according to Doug Smith of the TORONTO STAR. The screen is "part of a pedestrian plaza and new entrance to the arena and provides a gathering place for ticketless fans to watch games being played mere steps away." Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE) Exec VP/Venues & Entertainment Bob Hunter said that the plaza area "can accommodate about 6,000 spectators." MLSE "hopes to show all of the games involving its teams on the big screen although weather will unquestionably be a factor." Smith noted the "facelift to the arena is centered on the western edge of the building and includes a new concourse and main entrance and the studio that's the site" of Raptors and Maple Leafs pre- and post-game TV broadcasts (TORONTO STAR, 9/12). In Toronto, Lance Hornby reported the new outdoor screen cost C$3M. Hornby noted inside the arena's corridors, "300 HD monitors will be tied into a central console capable of signaling a goal, three-pointer or even providing touch screen service to help navigate the seats, washrooms, concessions and retail shops in the building." Also, a "crisp new sound system is in place" (TORONTO SUN, 9/12).