Abstract
The sports industry has long served as a testing field for new and evolving technology, from gel-filled tennis shoes to contact lenses, which were created to improve athletes’ vision. In recent years a computer imaging system—not surprisingly referred to as virtual signage—has made its way into the billion-dollar sports advertising industry. Similar to the blue screen we see during television weather reports, virtual signage has caused technology firms to sprout up in order to get in on a piece of the action. While largely popular in Europe, virtual technology has gained increased attention in the United States through its use in baseball, football, and tennis. With the rising use of virtual signage has come the legal wrangles due, in large part, to the fuzzy understanding of who owns the rights to sporting venues, events, and advertising space. This paper takes a look at who is using virtual signage and how they are dealing with the problems that arise from the use of this relatively new technology in the sports industry.
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