May 23, 2006
Action Sports Media, Inc., a leader in the collegiate sports marketing industry, today announced a five-year extension of its marketing agreement with the University of South Carolina (USC), to run through November 2017. In conjunction with this extension, Action Sports Media will help finance a state-of-the-art video board and LED advertising displays for USC’s football facility, Williams-Brice Stadium, as well as hold the exclusive marketing rights associated with this new equipment. Action Sports Media currently coordinates the signage and marketing efforts for the Colonial Center, USC’s 19,000-seat, multi-purpose events venue.
Built in 1934 and regarded as one of the country’s elite football facilities, Williams-Brice Stadium consistently records some of the nation’s top attendance figures and generally sells out home games prior to the start of the season. During the past 10 years, Williams-Brice Stadium has undergone nearly $30 million in renovations, and features an 11,000-square foot banquet facility in the south end-zone, premium seating, executive suites, and an 80,250-seat capacity to accommodate Gamecock football fans. The new video board and advertising displays will enhance the overall game day experience for the fans, providing video replays and interactive elements for the Gamecocks’ first home game against the University of Georgia on Sept. 9.
“Since beginning our work with the University of South Carolina in August 2000, we have greatly valued our relationship and are enthusiastic about extending our partnership with one of the prominent athletic programs in the country,” said Gordon Whitener, CEO of Action Sports Media. “Installing new video equipment at Williams-Brice Stadium is just one of the ways we can provide strategic assets to USC. It is our intention to help enhance the fans’ game day experience, as well as continue to seek out premier marketing opportunities that provide the maximum amount of revenue back to the university.”
The technology additions to Williams-Brice Stadium are courtesy of Daktronics, the world’s largest supplier of electronic scoreboards, computer-programmable displays, large-screen video displays and control systems. Members of the Action Sports Media team worked closely with Daktronics and USC to determine the technologies best suited for Williams-Brice Stadium.
“Throughout my collegiate career at USC, I was fortunate enough to play in Williams-Brice Stadium, an atmosphere as thrilling as any in the country,” said Brad Edwards, Director of New Business Development for Action Sports Media and former Gamecocks football player. “These new technologies will only add to an already exciting environment, providing Gamecock fans with an electrifying game-day experience.”
The main video board is a ProStar® VideoPlus display, measuring 20 feet high by 29 feet wide, while the two sideline boards are ProAd® digital advertising displays approximately 3 feet high by 155 feet wide. These three additions have the capacity to present live and recorded video images, colorful animations and vivid graphics, while still allowing ample space to recognize sponsors, provide game-in-progress information, and team and player stats.
“This new video equipment will greatly enhance the game-day atmosphere at Williams-Brice Stadium, providing our fans with some of the most exciting and cutting-edge technology in regards to video replays and fan-interactive elements,” said USC athletics director Eric Hyman.
About Action Sports Media, Inc.
Action Sports Media, Inc., (www.actionsportsmedia.com) provides niche collegiate sports marketing services, specializing in athletic venue media rights. Action Sports Media services its contracts by selling advertising and signage sponsorship rights at various sports venues, and the company has exclusive contracts with premier athletic programs in powerhouse NCAA conferences including the Big East, SEC, Big Ten, Big 12, and Pac 10. The company also markets a software package, Game Ops Commander, that enables scoreboard operators to manage the audio portion of their game-day production; more than 900 groups have licensed Game Ops Commander. Action Sports Media is a privately held company whose principal investor is Parallel Investment Partners, a Dallas-based private equity firm that invests in growing, entrepreneurially led U.S. companies. Parallel (www.parallelip.com) has offices in Dallas and Los Angeles.
