MIDSTREAM LIGHTING
PERFORMANCE
IS EVERYTHING
From professional soccer stadia to world-leading
equestrian facilities, sporting venues across the globe
are turning to sophisticated LED lighting solutions
Many of the benefits of LED lighting are aimed
at improving the experience for all those playing
or experiencing the sport. With LED technology, it
provides improved directional light distribution, which
from an experience perspective, results in less glare.
This leads to a lower amount of upwards light and
overspill light, providing a better in-stadium and at
home-viewing experience for spectators, as well as
improved visibility for athletes on the pitch.
LED lights also offer improved color rendering,
moving away from simply enhancing the homeviewing
experience, but giving commercial visibility
a boost by better illuminating sponsors on kits or
adverts on perimeter boards.
he quest for high quality floodlighting to
support the sports industry’s most critical
infrastructure is integral to professional
clubs. This is a requirement that spans all
sporting fields and stadia, where there is
an ever-increasing demand for facilities to match the
top-quality performances and even higher expectations
from athletes, supporters and broadcasters.
The lighting of professional stadia and arenas calls
for the most intelligent luminaire technologies. When
the lights go on, spectators, athletes, sponsors and
broadcasters all expect total performance.
At Super Bowl XLVII in 2013, which saw the
Baltimore Ravens and San Francisco 49ers face off at
the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, chaos occured when
the game was halted for 34 minutes after half the lights
in the stadium went out. Similarly, at a Rugby World
Cup 2019 match in Tokyo between Wales and
Australia, two-thirds of the floodlights failed as the
game entered the last 10 minutes, plunging the game
into darkness and sparking an official investigation.
For large stadia and events, the financial impact can
be in the millions of dollars for delays or cancellations.
For smaller venues the immediate loss of revenue on
that day can be drastic for business, with both revenue
and reputational damage being huge factors.
Reliable and high-quality lighting products can
therefore make or break a game, however, many
sporting facilities are currently still using traditional
discharge lighting.
LED leading the way
This is where the long-term benefits of LED
floodlighting come into play. There are two main areas
to consider: firstly, the on-and-off-field lighting
experience for athletes, spectators and broadcasters,
secondly, the business impact for stadia worldwide.
(Main) LED lighting provides
a greater quality of light and
also saves on energy costs
(Left) Midstream Lighting’s
Modus R series is a low glare,
broadcast-ready, flicker-free
LED floodlight ideal for sport
LIGHTING
136 www.stadia-magazine.com Showcase 2020
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