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BY JENNIFER BAILEY

JBAILEY@DANCOMNEWS.COM

DANVILLE, Ill. – Visitors at Danville Stadium can look for more animations, a kiss cam and other features among the possibilities for the new scoreboard by Watchfire Signs.

Watchfire announces the Danville Dans baseball team is one of the first in the country to adopt the Ignite Sports content management software to power the new Watchfire LED scoreboard at Danville Stadium.

Officials say the software will be used such as for animation and graphics to rev up the crowd and advertisements relative to the game.

Ignite Sports is designed especially to build excitement for every sport at every level of play: youth, high school, college and professional. Ignite Sports will be included with every Watchfire virtual scoreboard and sports video display and integrates seamlessly with third-party inputs and components, according to a Watchfire press release.

Watchfire’s third content management software product in the Ignite franchise, Ignite Sports was designed with feedback from the industry. This software manages every aspect of game-time and event videoproduction with touch screen technology that is simple to use, according to Watchfire officials.

The software makes it easy to create, manage and deliver game-time content to Watchfire in-venue displays. Content like scores, statistics, animations, live video, kiss cam, instant replays and advertising help engage fans, drive revenue and strengthen franchise brands.

“Ignite Sports is going to take our sponsorships to another level this season,” said Tom Fricke, information director for the Danville Dans, through the press release. “With Ignite Sports, we can repackage our video display advertising and expect to earn new revenue. In seconds, I can build a banner ad and send it to the big screen. We can jump in and out of the playlist without losing our place in the rotation, which helps us give more exposure to all of our sponsors, not just the ones at the top of the playlist.”

Ignite Sports comes with a library of more than 1,000 animations and graphics to bolster crowd enthusiasm and provide up-to-the minute information. The content too can be customized by adding text, photos and logos for maximum personalization of each program’s display.

Ignite Sports lets the operator add videos and graphics, edit text and create playlists without affecting the content running on the video display board. Tabs for favorite or specific event content gives operators the versatility to plan content for a variety of events, like a game in the afternoon and completely different content for evening concerts. Offline features are ideal for high schools and colleges using Ignite Sports in their AV curriculum.

Beyond the season, Ignite Sports can be used for tournaments, clinics and non-sporting events.

Mayor Scott Eisenhauer said the new scoreboard replaces the old one from 1947 that didn’t work last year.

Eisenhauer said private donations paid for the scoreboard.

“I don’t think it will be their last because I think they’re very happy with the outcome,” Eisenhauer said of Watchfire.

Watchfire Signs, headquartered in Danville, designs and engineers outdoor LED signs and digital billboards. Watchfire has manufactured electric signs since 1932 and LED signs since 1998. The company has more than 60,000 Watchfire LED signs in operation worldwide.

OFFUTT DEVELOPMENT completed the final installation Tuesday of the new Watchfire scoreboard at Danville Stadium.The old-fashioned looking scoreboard on the bottom has LED lighting and a 36-foot video board above it and the old baseball rebuilt at the top that had been incorporated in the former scoreboard that quit working.