The Warriors game day experience is set to be bigger and better than ever with the installation of New Zealand's largest high definition LED mega-screen underway at Mt Smart Stadium.
The million dollar 212 square metre screen will be almost five times the size of the existing temporary screens usedat Warriors home games and will be the largest permanent stadium screen in the country.
Construction at the Penrose venue began last month with large scale excavation into the hill at the northern end of the ground before digging began to house the screen's foundation.
Work has begun on the mega-screen foundation following excavation into the hill at the northern end of Mt Smart Stadium. Photo / Warriors - Peter Young.
The project will be completed before the start of next year's NRL season with the Warriors reportedly in line to host a round one match against St George Illawarra on Saturday March 4.
"It will be fantastic," said Warriors managing director Jim Doyle.
"I've known for a while where it's going to be positioned and how big it is going to be but when you think about how far they have had to cut into the hill to be able to go down to then put the foundations in to support it, it will be stunning.
"It will make a massive difference."
Work is continuing on building the foundation to support the mega-screen. Photo / Warriors - Peter Young.
The Daktronics screen is the same brand and similar in size to the huge 'superscreens' installed at Sydney's Allianz Stadium in 2015.
Standing 11 metres by 19 metres, the mega-screen will deliver high-definition live action and replays and also offers split screens showing scores, statistics and other stadium messages.
The cost and installation of the mega-screen is being covered by Regional Facilities Auckland as part of the terms of their agreement with the club that secured Mt Smart Stadium as the Warriors home ground until 2028.
The RFA have committed around $11 million to upgrading the venue in the next few years, with improvements also due to be made to the stadiums toilets and change room facilities.
The installation of a permanent screen is a long-term investment that will remove the need and cost of hiring temporary screens for Warriors' matches.
"The screen will cost us just over a million dollars," explained RFA chief executive Chris Brooks.
"The payback of that is about six years because we hire screens in. So we're quite happy to do that and we're still working through the installation costs.
"The Warriors have also done a lot of good work in terms of enhancing things on their side as well."
The project is indicative of the improved relationship between the club and RFA, after the Warriors successfully opposed the council's initial stadium strategy that proposed a shift to either Eden Park or North Harbour Stadium.
"They've been really, really supportive," said Doyle.
"Obviously in the last year we've changed from going to be kicked out to staying there for another 10 years so it's been great."
