PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — In addition to the National League Championship Trophy, there will be new sights, sounds and flavors for Phillies fans at Citizens Bank Park this season.
The most striking change is a huge, new, 13,000-square-foot 4K video screen. It’s 77% larger than last year’s board.
“The clarity, the brightness, our creative elements — it’s just going to look awesome,” said Sean Walker, the Phils’ chief technology officer. “We’ve got unbelievable highlight packages to work with from last season’s season. It really should be just a transformative experience for the fans compared to our previous generation of LED.”
In baseball, it’s all about the base, so fans will no doubt notice the sound of new speakers installed around the ballpark. “Foul pole to foul pole, we’ve got 23 subwoofers that really enhance the bass experience in the park,” Walker said
Entering the park should be faster, too, courtesy of a new screening system that uses artificial intelligence to detect large-density metal.
“The one thing you don’t have to do is divest anything from your pockets or your bag. You just walk through the system,” said Sal DeAngelis, the Phils’ VP of operations and security.
A new Uber station is also opening in parking Lot T, complete with a lounge and changing station. “Before, we had no dedicated space for a rideshare to either drop off or pick up,” DeAngelis said.
And a new season always brings new food offerings. This year, Manco & Manco’s pizza expands to three locations in the concourse, Federal Donuts adds chicken tenders, and a new Uncle Charlie’s cheesesteak named after World Series-winning manager Charlie Manuel debuts.