Scoreboards are everywhere — on TV, at professional and amateur sporting events, online, and more. They keep track of scores, tell time, put on massive visual displays, and offer up advertisements, all the while keeping spectators and players informed. But they weren’t always the giant, technological spectacles that they are today.

When the first Digital Score Board appeared in 1908, they were not nearly as impressive as the jumbotrons that now fill stadiums around the world. Designed to replace the paper scorecards that were once used in the game, they offered a clearer, more readable display and the ability to semi-automatically update the score. However, they weren’t a hit right away; team owners worried that if people could keep score digitally, they wouldn’t buy scorecards.

Game-Changing Benefits of Upgrading to a Digital Scoreboard

Eventually, the technology caught up with the demand for bigger and better scoreboards, and companies like Daktronics began producing LED boards that could do everything from show statistics to advertising. But it was a breakthrough when Shuji Nakamura and his colleagues invented the blue LED light, which paired with red and green to create white light, that really revolutionized the scoreboard world.

Today, digital scoreboards are a vital component for both professional and non-professional community sports teams. They help enhance fan engagement, provide unique advertising opportunities, and make financial sense for stadium owners who invest in them. In a world where ad space is a premium, digital scoreboards provide an ideal way to attract and maintain sponsors.