Build It And They Will Come DOOH Ad Network Model Finds Its Way To Ballparks

August 2, 2023 by Dave Haynes

The “Build it and they will come” approach to digital out of home ad networks borrows a famous line from the 1989 film Field of Dreams, in which a farmer builds a baseball field in a cornfield in hopes the ghosts of baseball legends will appear and play. The line has been used many times in reference to dreamer entrepreneurs who have installed display networks in places like retail, bars and fitness venues, in the hopes that advertisers will come and the networks will recover OpEx and CapEx costs and one day be profitable.

I just came across a new Digital Out Of Home network that is actually based around ballparks, with the interesting business model of putting in 10′ by 6′ outdoor LED displays at youth sports complexes, running ads on them in tandem with in-game scoring and stats.  The company is called Youth Scoreboards (big hat tip for creating a name that clearly says what the company does, versus Snorkly or some other stupid/cute invented handle). It is based in Oklahoma City and is rolling out displays in youth sports complexes starting in that midwest state.

From the company website:

You’re probably wondering how much a Scoreboard costs for a youth sports complex and how the process works. The first thing our team will do is conduct a digital attendance audit on your baseball/softball complex to verify what the attendance numbers are. The cost of the boards can range from absolutely free to our cost depending on the audience numbers per field and the general location of your facility. Youth Scoreboards offers a very unique ad supported program that is unlike any other in the country. These extra large 6’x10’ LED boards would enhance ANY field.

Revenue to offset the capital investment of the installation are generated through the sale of static and video ads to local and regional businesses.

Once the investment is recouped, the complex will receive a percentage of the net profit each year. That’s it!

The scoreboards are managed by a mobile app, and the CMS driving things is Wallboard. From Danny Hagen at Wallboard …

The scoreboards are integrated within the ads – Between innings and outs. All automatically triggered. And, from the secure QR code launch, any person with access can control the scoreboard with the cell phone. No big and clunky scoreboard keeper needed.

The company has 102 displays in Oklahoma, most in Tulsa and Oklahoma City, and is now expanding in the Kansas City metro area. It has a very serious door-opener for meetings with municipalities and youth sports groups in co-founder Barry Switzer, a legendary college and pro football coach.