AAC upgrades include new larger video board, more comfortable seats

DALLAS - The American Airlines Center in Dallas is showing off $20 million worth of upgrades including an even bigger video board and all new seating.

The major upgrades were finished just in time for the start of the new seasons for the Dallas Mavericks and Dallas Stars.

Fans will immediately notice a new video board that’s 30% larger than the old one. It’s more than 44 feet long, 31 feet wide, and 26 feet tall and has a 360-degree display with nested screens inside.

"It is huge! The experience for the fans will be incredible, and the players. This is amazing," said Cynt Marshall, the Dallas Mavericks CEO. "We have the best sixth man in the league and so now they’re going to be louder and crazier than ever. I’m about to lose my mind just in here for the first time so imagine 20,000 of us. It’s going to be wild. I can’t wait. This is exciting."

Dallas Stars President and CEO Brad Alberts said the technology on the scoreboard is state-of-the-art.

"So, for our players on the benches and certainly our fans that sit down around the ice and court, this will be a completely new amenity and incredible new additional experience for them. It’s neat," he said.

The AAC improvements also include new seats, new exterior digital displays, an updated roof, and other amenities.

"It’s been 22 years since we’ve opened the American Airlines Center. We had the first-generation seating here for the first 22 years so replacing all the seating was amazing. The technology for seating is so much more advanced than it was when we built the building. So, ergonomics, the sustainability of the seating, the guests are really going to notice an upgrade in comfort. So, we’re excited about that," said AAC COO and General Manager Dave Brown.

The Dallas Stars will get to experience the upgrades for the first time Tuesday night for a pre-season game.

The Mavs have their first game in a few weeks.