Case study · Video

Stadium Graphics: Rugby Canada v England

LED ribbon boards and jumbotron video content for a record-setting night at BMO Field.

Role: Graphic designer: BMO East Ribbon (soccer) and main board in-bowl video graphics
Tools: Adobe After Effects and Adobe Illustrator
Client: Raymond James, sponsor of the Rugby Canada women’s team
Venue: BMO Field, Toronto
Date: October 16, 2026

The graphics in the stadium

A slow pan across BMO Field on game night: the LED ribbon boards around the pitch and the jumbotron.

The brief

For Raymond James’ Rugby Canada sponsorship, I designed the in-bowl video graphics at BMO Field: the BMO East Ribbon (soccer) and the main board. MLSE’s digital signage specs defined both deliverables, from frame size to codec and file naming.

The challenge

The two screens could hardly be more different. The East Ribbon is 12,608 by 96 pixels, a strip about 131 times wider than it is tall, while the main board is a standard 16:9 frame at 1920 by 1080. Both had to be delivered as video files with no audio, and the East Ribbon runs for 30 seconds.

BMO East Ribbon (soccer): 12608 × 96 px, 30 seconds. Apple ProRes, .mov, progressive, no audio, keyframe every frame.
Main board: 1920 × 1080 px, 16:9. .mov, progressive, 20 Mbps CBR, no audio.
Both: In-bowl video, named DEPT_SPONSOR_PRODUCT_LOCATION. Frame rates accepted: 23.976, 24, 29.97, 30, 59.94 or 60 fps.

Specs from MLSE Digital Signage asset pages (digital.mlse.com).

The process

SpecsBuilt each frame to MLSE’s spec: 12608 × 96 for the East Ribbon and 1920 × 1080 for the main board.
DesignDesigned the Raymond James graphics for both screens in Adobe Illustrator.
MotionAnimated and rendered the video in Adobe After Effects, exported to the codec and wrapper each board requires, with no audio.
Stakeholders and deliveryManaged stakeholder relations with the corporate communications team and delivered on time, leaving room for edits.

On the big board

A six-second loop of the jumbotron content in the stadium, played forward and then back so it repeats without a jump.

In the real world

Austin Werner holding a camera field-side at BMO Field during the match. — Field-side at BMO Field on game night.

Canada women’s team in a huddle on the pitch with the Raymond James content on the jumbotron behind. — Team huddle with the Raymond James jumbotron content in the background.

Broadcast frame of the match showing the graphics along the pitch. — Broadcast frame showing the graphics.

The result

A historic night for the program: Canada beat England in front of the largest crowd for a Canadian international test match in more than a decade.

24–21Canada over England

18,621fans in the stands

RecordNorth American women’s rugby attendance

10+ yrssince a crowd this large for a Canadian international test

BMO Field (Toronto Stadium) was a host venue for the FIFA World Cup 2026™, including Germany v Ivory Coast on June 20, 2026, in front of 43,036 fans. For the tournament it added 17,756 seats, bringing capacity to 45,736 seats.

Sources: bmofield.com; Wikipedia, 2026 FIFA World Cup Group E