Sharp LCD technology to premiere at VELUX EHF FINAL4

A revolutionary new perimeter advertising system is to premiere at the VELUX EHF FINAL4 in Cologne, Germany on 28 and 29 May 2011. The result of the unique partnership between EHF Marketing GmbH, the marketing arm of the European Handball Federation, and premium sponsor of the VELUX EHF Men’s Champions League, the Sharp LCD Perimeter Advertising System is the first LCD advertising system to be available for indoor sports.

First launched onto the international sports market in February 2011 at SporBiS 2011 in Germany, Europe’s largest sports business conference, the new system was showcased to club representatives, partners and sponsors of the VELUX EHF Men’s Champions League and invited guests on Monday 7 March 2011 at a special event before the Draw for the Last 16 in Vienna, Austria.

The new advertising system will be tested in the Last 16 and Quarterfinal stages of the VELUX EHF Men’s Champions League at selected venues across Europe ahead of its first major implementation at the VELUX EHF FINAL4, the final phase of the 2010/2011 season. The event, featuring the top four clubs in European handball, will take place in Cologne, Germany on 28 and 29 May 2011 in front of a capacity crowd of over 19,500 people in the LANXESS arena.

The Sharp LCD Perimeter Advertising System is a world-first and offers advertisers, sponsors and partners the opportunity to communicate their message through animated advertising in crystal clear television quality, a huge advance over the static and LED advertising systems currently available on the market.

Managing Director of EHF Marketing GmbH, Peter Vargo, said: “We are delighted with the outcome of our co-operation with Sharp. The new LCD Perimeter Advertising System will enable us to present our partners and their advertising in high broadcast quality, making the VELUX EHF Men’s Champions League an even more attractive proposition for sponsors both now and in the future. The fact that Sharp has chosen to develop this cutting edge new technology with us underlines the reputation of EHF Marketing GmbH as a leading player on the international sports market.”

Maximilian Huber, Managing Director of Sharp Electronics (Europe), said: “The VELUX EHF Men’s Champions League offers us the best possible platform to launch our new technology onto the international sports market. We are sure our solution will not only be an addition to the game but will offer added value to the fans, the sponsors and last but not least to the viewers on TV because of its moiré free content.”

Advances in technology from Sharp have made the use of LCD technology possible for the first time in indoor sports arenas. The system is made up of individual 152 cm diagonal (60 inch) screens with a strong 1366 x 768 pixel display and a surrounding edge of only 6.5 mm, which allows for an almost continuous display when placed side by side – a perfect picture from any angle or distance.

For clubs in the VELUX EHF Men’s Champions League the system also allows complete flexibility, displaying a seemingly endless series of formats from MPEG to WMV, Flash, HTML and JPG, and the ability to update and add content online. Thirty individual screens placed together can be placed on the long side of the perimeter to display uninterrupted, high quality content.