Royals Fans to Watch Highlights and Replays on World’s Largest HD Display

BROOKINGS, S.D.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Kansas City Royals and Daktronics (Nasdaq:DAKT) announced today that the world’s largest high definition (HD) light emitting diode (LED) video display will be installed at Kauffman Stadium prior to the start of the 2008 Major League Baseball season.

Daktronics HD-X LED technology will be installed in a huge outfield structure behind center field measuring more than 100 feet high by 85 feet wide, topped with the familiar Royals’ iconic golden crown. The LED display will contain more than 1800 full-color lines of resolution with lines on 16 millimeter (.63”) spacing. The display will be the largest HD LED board in the world, surpassing the former record holders designed and manufactured by Daktronics for Dolphin Stadium in Miami and Darrell K Royal – Texas Memorial Stadium on the campus of the University of Texas in Austin.

“The Kansas City Royals organization is extremely excited about this high-tech addition to Kauffman Stadium,” said Kevin Uhlich, Senior Vice President, Business Operations for the Kansas City Royals. “We’ll be installing the very latest in Daktronics HD LED video technology to provide the best game day presentation for fans, in incredible detail that is larger than life. The sheer size of the main display will allow us to show live and recorded video in high definition, while at the same time provide much more statistical information, graphics, animation and other energizing content. Imagine replays, highlights and images that are 100 feet tall. It will be very impressive.”

“Our new HD-X technology offers great new features, including ultra-wide viewing angles, increased contrast with deeper blacks and more vibrant colors, and world-class video processing for improved image quality,” said Reece Kurtenbach, Vice President of Daktronics Live Events unit. “The HD-X technology is an important development in the LED video marketplace and we are pleased to have the Royals among the recent venues to choose it.”

The 2008 season upgrade will also include Daktronics LED technology incorporated into the fence in left field, which will be used to display up-to-the-minute scores and information from other games in progress. The outfield fence display will measure approximately 8 feet high and 128 feet wide.

Additional equipment will be installed prior to the start of the 2009 season. Two LED displays will be positioned on the fascia of the upper deck seating along right field and left field. These ribbon boards will measure approximately 4 feet high by 380 feet long. Also included will be two additional LED displays positioned in the outfield above the new restaurant/bar and above the new Hall of Fame, each to measure approximately 5 feet high by 108 feet long. Fans near the Little “K” baseball field, and by the “Taste of KC” plaza area, will also be able to catch the action on Daktronics LED video displays.

“We are pleased to partner with the Kansas City Royals, HOK Sport and Hunt Construction to help make Kauffman Stadium one of the premier sports facilities in Major League Baseball,” said Tony Mulder, Daktronics Regional Sales Manager. “Combined with all the new ballpark enhancements, the world’s largest HD display will provide fans with the ultimate game day experience.”

The addition of the new HD video board and outfield fence display are two of many significant improvements that will take place over the next two years at the ballpark. The renovation of Kauffman Stadium, designed by HOK Sport, includes a grand open entrance into the ballpark; improved concourse areas with more food options and shops, which will double the size of the current concourse; enhanced outfield plaza areas; additional fan-friendly seating; and a new Royals Hall of Fame. The entire project will be completed by opening day 2010.

About Kauffman Stadium

Opened as Royals Stadium on April 10, 1973, Kauffman Stadium is recognized throughout baseball as one of the game's most beautiful ballparks. Since then, many exciting games have been contested, including the 1973 All-Star Game, three no-hitters, playoff games in 1976, '77, '78, '80, '81, '84 and '85, and seven World Series tilts in 1980 and 1985. The facility was officially renamed in honor of Ewing M. Kauffman in a ceremony at the stadium on July 2, 1993. Since its opening, a total of 60,565,276 people have visited the stadium, including a record 2,477,700 in 1989.

About Daktronics

Daktronics is recognized as the world’s leading provider of full-color LED video displays. Daktronics began manufacturing large screen, full-color, LED video displays in 1997. Since then, over 3,700 video-capable displays have been sold and installed in sports, entertainment and commercial facilities around the world. Since 2001, independent market research conducted by iSuppli Corp. lists Daktronics as the world’s leading provider of large screen LED video displays.

Daktronics has strong leadership positions in, and is one of the world’s largest suppliers of, electronic scoreboards, computer-programmable displays, digital billboards, large screen video displays and control systems. The company excels in the control of large display systems, including those that require integration of multiple complex displays showing real-time information, graphics, animation and video. Daktronics designs, manufactures, markets and services display systems for customers around the world, in sport, commercial and transportation applications. For more information, visit the company’s World Wide Web site at: http://www.daktronics.com, e-mail the company at sales@daktronics.com, call (605) 697-4300 or toll-free (800) 325-8766 in the United States or write to the company at 331 32nd Ave. PO Box 5128 Brookings, S.D. 57006-5128.

Cautionary Notice: In addition to statements of historical fact, this news release contains forward looking statements reflecting the Company’s expectations or beliefs concerning future events which could materially affect Company performance in the future. The Company cautions that these and similar statements involve risk and uncertainties including changes in economic and market conditions, management of growth, timing and magnitude of future contracts, and other risks noted in the Company’s SEC filings which may cause actual results to differ materially. Forward-looking statements are made in the context of information available as of the date stated. The company undertakes no obligation to update or revise such statements to reflect new circumstances or unanticipated events as they occur.

Note to Media: A press conference to discuss the Royals new video board and to break ground on new Kauffman Stadium enhancements will be held at the ballpark Wednesday, Oct. 3, beginning at 1:30 pm.