The Harris County (Texas) Sports & Convention Corporation yesterday cleared the way for Reliant Stadium to add a new HD video board in time for the ’13 season that will be the largest at a pro team sports venue. A Mitsubishi Diamond Vision video board will replace the current board in the end zone and will cover 14,549 square feet. That is about 25% larger than the scoreboard at Cowboys Stadium, though the board in Arlington is center-hung. Installation on the board will begin after the Texans’ season is over. The team is in line to have home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs; the AFC Championship is on Jan. 20. “We’ll start as quickly as we can,” Texans President Jamey Rootes said. “The building is busy with the rodeo and other events in the spring, but we’re confident it will be up and ready for our first preseason game.” The board will cost approximately $16.5M, and the Texans and the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo will split the loan to pay for the construction. They will then be reimbursed over time from Reliant Stadium repair and replacement funds. The venue is also bidding for Super Bowl LI in ’17, and the Texans hope the new video board helps tip the scales in their favor. “The bid is all about the experience,” Rootes said. “The experience with the community, the experience on game day. Any time you can provide an amenity like this, it can only help our chances.”
