Gillette Stadium's new massive jumbotron officially lights up ahead of Patriots preseason

For half of a minute, it didn’t seem like the new massive jumbotron at Gillette Stadium would offer that much more than the old one, other than two large black screens surrounding the video display.

And then the system updated …

Clips showing highlights from past Patriots and Revolution games, stadium events, and destinations across New England, filled the 22,200-square-foot video board, the largest jumbotron at an outdoor stadium in the country.

Stadium officials turned on the video board in the north end zone for the first time Friday afternoon, hours before the Patriots practiced in front of season ticket holders.

“This new video board is the centerpiece of the $250 million investment we are making to transform Gillette Stadium,” Kraft Sports and Entertainment Chief Operating Officer Jim Nolan told employees from Kraft-owned companies who gathered to see the jumbotron’s sparkling debut.

The curved board measures 370 feet by 60 feet, equating to 22,000 square feet and nearly half of an acre, Nolan said. It is five times larger than the one it replaced and comes after officials unveiled a roughly 11,500-square-foot jumbotron in the south end zone in 2021.

At games, the board will display “enhanced statistics, game footage that will appear two times larger than the previous board and fun new fan engagement features, Nolan said. A yellow marking line showing the first down line will pop up on the board during Patriots and football games, he said.

“For the Revolution soccer matches and Patriot football games, this board is going to bring a whole new home field advantage to the stadium,” Nolan said. “It’s big, it will make the stadium louder, and we are thrilled for what it will do for the overall gameday experience.”

A revamped north-end lighthouse standing 218-feet tall with a 360-degree observation deck that towers over the new jumbotron remains a work in progress. Once finished, it will be open year-round and available for events.

Another new attraction fans will get to enjoy in Foxboro this season is a 75,000-square-foot event space connecting the East and West Putnam Clubs, the Dell Technologies Suite Levels and the upper concourse, among other amenities.

“We started this project a year-and-a-half ago,” Nolan said, “and it features the most widespread improvements and renovations we’ve made since opening the stadium in 2002.”

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