A newly installed outdoor video board outside BC Place Stadium is impossible to miss on the east side of the building.
In fact, it could be the largest electronic advertising billboard of its kind in Metro Vancouver, perhaps even in British Columbia.
It measures 85 ft in length and 25 ft in height — an area of 2,125 sq ft.
For a real size comparison, this video board is longer than two regular-sized 40-ft-long TransLink buses put together.
It is considerably larger than any other outdoor video board at BC Place Stadium, including the large screen at Terry Fox Plaza. And it is also nearly three times the size of each of the two video boards installed outside the Best Buy building at the intersection of Granville and Robson streets.
Just in time for the 160,000 Swifties expected to descend on BC Place Stadium during Taylor Swift’s three-day The Eras Tour finale this weekend, the largest of the stadium’s four new outdoor advertising video boards has been unveiled. First announced in December 2023, the installation includes three new billboards — with this screen being one of the net new billboards — and one replacement.
It is mounted onto a barren concrete wall at BC Place Stadium, within a side of the venue that directly faces the Georgia Viaduct and Rogers Arena.
New 85×25 outdoor advertising video board at BC Place Stadium, fronting the Georgia Viaduct. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)
New 85×25 outdoor advertising video board at BC Place Stadium, fronting the Georgia Viaduct. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)
New 85×25 outdoor advertising video board at BC Place Stadium, fronting the Georgia Viaduct. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)
The other three video boards were completed earlier in 2024, including some that were ready during the summer. This includes a new replacement billboard perched high on a pillar outside the southeast corner of the stadium, also next to the Georgia Viaduct and Rogers Arena.
The other two net new additional video boards are located near the ground level perspective — facing Pacific Boulevard near the southeast corner of the stadium and the Plaza of Nations, and facing Expo Boulevard near the northeast corner of the stadium and Costco. The new Pacific Boulevard sign measures 35 ft in length and 10 ft in height for an area of 350 sq ft, while the new Expo Boulevard sign is 20 ft in length and 10 ft in height for an area of 200 sq ft.
These outdoor video boards were installed by Pattison Outdoor Advertising, which will also operate the installations under a revenue-sharing partnership with Pavco — the provincial Crown corporation that operates BC Place Stadium.
The billboards will provide Pavco with new additional revenue to support the ongoing costs of operating, maintaining, and improving the stadium. When the installations were first announced a year ago, Pavco did not provide a ballpark figure of the potential revenue it could gain.
But based on the revenue-generating precedents of other billboard locations in BC, these giant video boards — especially at such a high-profile location with significant visibility to high vehicle and pedestrian traffic volumes and event attendees — could potentially generate tens of millions of dollars for Pavco over the lifespan of the screens.
New replacement outdoor advertising video board at BC Place Stadium, fronting the Georgia Viaduct. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)
New 35×10 outdoor advertising video board at BC Place Stadium, fronting Pacific Boulevard. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)
Since BC Place Stadium is situated on land owned by the provincial government, the installation of these outdoor advertising video boards did not require any permit applications or prior approval from the municipal government.
Pavco previously indicated the signs will have the latest technology, including a dimming feature that reduces brightness to just 4% during evening hours, which will significantly reduce potential impacts on surrounding buildings. As well, these new signs will require significantly less electricity.
The operating hours of the signs will be consistent from existing signage, operating daily from 7 am to 11 pm.
Daily Hive Urbanized reached out to Pavco for comment on the completion of the installation of the new outdoor advertising video boards, but did not hear back in time for publication.
Pavco is also in the process of seeking a contractor to install a new replacement centre-hung, four-sided video board above the field inside the stadium. As reported by Daily Hive Urbanized in late November 2024, this new installation will be a “like for like” replacement that reuses the existing steel/aluminum structural frame and wiring.
While the replacement screens will provide a higher resolution, it will be the same size as the existing aging screens. It could be ready sometime in 2025, but no later than February 2026.
The stadium interior’s existing centre-hung video board has an area of 2,572 sq ft for each of its two long sides (68 ft in length and 37.8 ft in height), and 681 sq ft for each of its two short sides (32.8 ft in length and 20.8 ft in height). All four sides of the video board are made up of a combined total of about 56 LED panels for total video board area of 6,505 sq ft.
The 2024 CFL Grey Cup at BC Place Stadium. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)
The new centre-hung, four-sided video board for the field of play is a part of BC Place Stadium’s various upgrades in time for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Other improvements that will be made to BC Place Stadium for the FIFA World Cup include the renovation of the three existing small elevators, the potential construction of up to three new additional large elevators, renovations to the Edgewater Lounge on Level 3 that convert it into a new fan zone accessible to everyone under general admission, repurposing BC Sports Hall of Fame’s existing storage space next to the Edgewater lounge into additional spectator areas, converting the food court area on Level 1 into an enclosed purpose-built multi-functional space, and renovations to the old and outdated player dressing rooms and facilities.
The stadium is also set to see the installation of a natural grass pitch in time for the tournament. Pavco officials previously stated a decision has yet to be made on whether the natural grass pitch would be made a permanent feature of the stadium, or whether it would be temporary, with the venue reverting to an artificial turf.
The current artificial turf was installed in early 2022, and it has a lifespan of roughly five years.
On the south side of BC Place Stadium, directly facing Pacific Boulevard, the Plaza of Nations, and False Creek, a temporary giant public art installation of The Eras Tour’s friendship bracelet beads has just been installed on the concrete rim of the stadium bowl.
Temporary public art installed at BC Place Stadium for Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)
Temporary public art installed at BC Place Stadium for Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)