Athletica Sport Systems has installed its LiveLED In-Ice Display at the Sleeman Centre in Guelph, Ontario, creating a new digital advertising surface beneath the hockey ice. The company says the deployment, completed with the Guelph Storm, City of Guelph and Ontario Hockey League, is the first of its kind in North America.
Digital signage has steadily moved beyond concourses, scoreboards and perimeter LED displays. Athletica Sport Systems is now putting that concept directly onto the playing surface.
The company, working with the Guelph Storm Hockey Club, City of Guelph and Ontario Hockey League (OHL), has installed its LiveLED In-Ice Display at the Sleeman Centre in Guelph, Ontario. According to Athletica, the demonstration installation is the first deployment of the technology in North America.
The system creates a new digital surface for displaying animations, graphics, branding and other content beneath the ice. Rather than functioning as another conventional arena screen, the technology is designed to turn the playing surface itself into an event-presentation and sponsorship channel.
For sports organizations, the advertising implications may be as significant as the visual technology.
Arena operators already monetize a range of physical and digital assets, from boards and scoreboards to concourse signage and broadcast-visible inventory. An in-ice display introduces another location where brands can appear during carefully timed moments such as player introductions, ceremonial puck drops, intermissions and championship celebrations.
That gives teams and venue operators the possibility of creating sponsorship packages around specific event moments rather than relying exclusively on static placements.
The technology could also provide greater flexibility for venues hosting different teams and events. Digital content can potentially be changed according to the event, sponsor or presentation, allowing one physical installation to support multiple branding programs.
The OHL sees that flexibility as relevant to both fan engagement and incremental venue revenue. Cole Butterworth, senior vice president of business operations at the league, said the organization is interested in innovative opportunities that can improve the fan experience while creating additional revenue opportunities.
That places LiveLED within the broader evolution of sports venue advertising technology, where physical infrastructure is increasingly becoming programmable media inventory.
The distinction matters for advertisers and agencies. Dynamic arena displays can provide brands with highly visible placements that are synchronized with live-event moments, while digital control can make the inventory more adaptable than traditional signage.
For rights holders, the opportunity is also to extend sponsorship beyond the conventional perimeter of the rink. A brand activation could accompany a player introduction, become part of a ceremonial presentation or appear during a community initiative.
Athletica’s installation also demonstrates how venue technology is converging with entertainment production. In-game presentation teams increasingly combine LED displays, video, graphics, lighting, audio and social content to create a coordinated experience. Adding the ice surface to that digital environment expands the number of surfaces available for content.
The Guelph installation will provide an early real-world test of how audiences and sponsors respond to the format. The Guelph Storm’s 2026-27 season is scheduled to begin on September 18, giving the organization an opportunity to deploy the technology during regular game-day programming.
For the advertising industry, the larger development is the creation of new digital out-of-home inventory inside sports venues. As advertisers look for environments where audiences are highly engaged and sponsorship rights can be integrated into entertainment, programmable venue surfaces could become another component of experiential and sports media strategies.
Whether in-ice displays become a widespread arena format will depend on factors including installation economics, operational requirements, visibility, content flexibility and sponsor demand. For now, Athletica’s Guelph deployment gives teams, leagues and advertisers a concrete example of how digital technology can create new inventory from an existing physical environment.
Market Landscape
Sports venues are increasingly operating as multimedia advertising environments rather than simply locations for live events. LED ribbons, giant screens, digital signage, connected displays and venue apps have expanded the number of touchpoints available to sponsors.
In-ice digital displays add another layer by placing programmable content directly into the field of play. The approach could be particularly relevant for hockey, where the ice is already a highly visible part of the spectator and broadcast experience.
The commercial opportunity centers on inventory creation. Instead of replacing existing sponsorship placements, technologies such as LiveLED can potentially add new digital assets that can be sold, bundled or activated around specific moments.
For advertisers, the value proposition will depend on audience visibility and measurable engagement. For teams and venues, the key questions include operational reliability, content management, sponsorship demand and how effectively the new inventory complements existing arena media assets.
Top Insights
- Athletica’s LiveLED In-Ice Display creates a programmable digital advertising surface beneath the ice at the Sleeman Centre in Guelph.
- The technology gives sports organizations additional sponsorship inventory for player introductions, ceremonies, intermissions, community programs and special events.
- Digital in-ice content can support multiple teams, sponsors and event programs, providing flexibility that traditional static rink advertising cannot easily offer.
- The deployment illustrates the convergence of venue entertainment technology and digital out-of-home advertising, expanding the surfaces available for brand activation.
Get in touch with our Adtech experts.
