The Milwaukee Bucks are in talks with tech giant Foxconn to supply their new arena with sports’ first 8K video system, industry sources said.
No deals have been signed. The discussions have taken place over the past five weeks, sources said, and cover a comprehensive cutting-edge 8K network tied to all televisions and video screens in the arena.
It would extend to include broadcast cameras and data storage, plus video production and distribution.
 |
GOU
|
The discussions were revealed after last week’s announcement at the White House, where Foxconn founder and CEO Terry Gou joined President Donald Trump to disclose the company’s plan to build a $10 billion factory in southeastern Wisconsin.
After the White House event, Gou attended a reception at the Department of Commerce, where he spoke and expressed excitement about forming a partnership with the Bucks to provide 8K technology, sources said.
Bucks President Peter Feigin attended both events but would not comment on any potential deal with Foxconn.
 |
When the Milwaukee Bucks open their new arena next year, it could have sports’ first 8K video system.
Photo by: JEFF PHELPS / MILWAUKEE BUCKS
|
In addition to video technology, the Bucks and Foxconn are in talks for a number of different partnerships, sources said.
It’s not clear whether those discussions include naming rights to the $524 million downtown arena that the Bucks are building, scheduled to open in fall 2018. The team is asking for more than $7 million annually over 20 years for naming rights, which could extend to an entertainment district next door, and Feigin has said a deal could be done by Labor Day.
Foxconn does not now have any sports sponsorships, according to RG Live, SportsBusiness Journal’s research database.
On the supplier side, 8K technology showcases the next generation of ultra-high-definition HD video displays. It’s one step above 4K, the most common resolution in the consumer marketplace now.
“8K is the closest thing to virtual reality,” said a source familiar with the negotiations between the Bucks and Foxconn.
Taiwan-based Foxconn, among the world’s biggest tech providers, builds smartphones and laptops in addition to LCD screens. Its customers include Apple, Google and Amazon.
Foxconn’s new plant, which will produce LCD screens and employ about 3,000 workers, is the biggest economic development project in the state’s history, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker told reporters covering the White House event. It would be the company’s first U.S. factory.
Foxconn bought electronics maker Sharp for $3.8 billion in 2016.
