FAQ Hub

Digital Scoreboards partners with schools for a new indoor LED display package, and determines if DS media is a good fit. If it is, then the scoreboard is financed through DS Capital over a 7-year term. DS Media then contracts with the school to launch and manage a complete advertising program over that same term. DS Media contractually guarantees the school's annual loan repayment and pays the school an annual share of net advertising revenue, beginning in year one. The school participates in a brief onboarding conversation at the start of the program to share local business contacts and community context, then DS Media manages all advertising operations from there. The school owns the equipment outright at the end of the term.

DS Media manages all advertiser recruitment, sales, and account management on behalf of the school. Schools are not expected to run the advertising program or manage sponsor relationships day-to-day. At the start of the program, schools participate in a brief onboarding conversation with their DS Media sales rep, sharing local business contacts, existing vendor relationships, businesses that frequently support the school, and any community context that helps warm up the sales process. After that initial handoff, DS Media handles everything: sponsor outreach, contract management, ad content, scheduling, and annual revenue distribution. The school's ongoing role is simply to approve advertising content before it runs on their scoreboard.

The DS Media contract guarantees the school's full annual loan repayment regardless of advertising performance. If DS Media does not generate sufficient revenue in a given year, DS Media remains contractually obligated to cover the school's payment in full at each anniversary date. The school's repayment is never contingent on ad sales results, that financial risk is carried entirely by DS Media. This guarantee is written into the contract and is enforceable independent of DS Media's revenue performance, giving schools a predictable, protected financial commitment they can present confidently to their school board.

DS Media follows the national advertising association code of conduct, which prohibits sensitive industry advertising within 500 feet of a school. This includes categories such as alcohol, tobacco, gambling, and adult content. In addition to those baseline standards, the DS Media contract gives schools explicit veto power over all advertisers before it goes live on their scoreboard. Schools can also flag specific businesses or categories they do not want represented, and DS Media will honor those restrictions throughout the program.

Yes. The school is responsible for providing the required power and data runs to the installation location. This includes conduit, power termination, and cat-6 data connections between the displays, AV rack, shot clocks if included, and score table. These infrastructure requirements are reviewed during a pre-installation site assessment so there are no surprises. In many cases, the cost of these school-provided items can be included within the financing package through DS Capital, with the school covering the added cost as part of the overall financing structure.

At the end of the 7-year term, the school owns the scoreboard equipment outright with no buyout payment, no final fee, and no additional financial obligation. This includes the LED displays, AV rack, and all installed hardware. The school financed the purchase through DS Capital and DS Media covered the annual loan repayments throughout the term. When the contract concludes, the school holds full ownership of a premium LED display system. At that point, the school can manage the scoreboard independently, renew with DS Media on a revenue-share basis, or upgrade to new hardware through Digital Scoreboards.

In the event DS Media ceases operations, all active multi-year advertising contracts are contractually assigned and transferred directly to the school. The school would then have the right to invoice advertisers directly on the existing contract terms and collect all future advertising revenue. This protection is written into the DS Media contract. The school's revenue stream is never solely dependent on DS Media remaining in business. All advertising contracts transfer with their full remaining term intact, ensuring continuity for both the school and its advertisers.

Yes. The scoreboard is the school's equipment and can be used for any school purpose at any time. The DS Media advertising program operates during athletic events and designated game-time windows; outside of those times, the school has full control of the display. ScoreVision software makes it simple to switch between game mode, event mode, and fully custom content. Schools regularly use their scoreboards for graduation ceremonies, pep rallies, assemblies, community events, and student productions. DS Academy students in particular often use the scoreboard as a production platform for school events beyond athletics.

Every situation is evaluated on a case-by-case basis. DS Media cannot compete directly against an active school or booster club advertising program. The partnership works best when everyone is moving in the same direction. In many cases a workable arrangement exists: DS Media may take over and upscale existing advertiser relationships for greater shared revenue, structure a partnership that incorporates the school's existing sales efforts, or build a custom agreement that benefits both parties. Schools with existing modern digital scoreboards may also qualify for DS Media's revenue-share program without a new hardware purchase. The best first step is a conversation with our team to assess your specific situation.

Each school is individually reviewed and vetted for all available options. In most cases, DS Capital's financing structure accommodates the Year 1 payment within the overall financing package. In situations where that isn't possible, DS Media works collaboratively with the school to explore alternatives. DS Media is looking to partner with schools that understand and believe in the long-term value of the program and will always work to find the best path forward for the right partners. Schools where Year 1 financing cannot be structured may not be the right fit at this time, but the conversation is always worth having.

Yes. The school has one flat annual payment for the 7-year term, there are no separate software or curriculum subscription fees. DS Media covers the annual ScoreVision software subscription as part of the program, and the DS Academy curriculum is included in every package at no additional annual cost. The school's total financial obligation is the single annual payment to DS Capital, which DS Media contractually guarantees to cover. Beyond that payment, the school incurs no additional costs for software, curriculum, or advertising program management.

Scoreboard advertising displays local business ads on a school's LED video scoreboard during athletic events. Ads appear as rotating on-screen graphics, banners, cinema-format ads, and video content throughout each game — reaching hundreds spectators per event. Unlike digital or social media advertising, scoreboard ads are seen by a highly engaged, community-connected audience that cannot skip, scroll past, or ignore them. Advertisers contract for a season or year of exposure, and the school earns a share of that revenue. Scoreboard advertising is one of the few remaining formats that combines captive attention, emotional context, and community goodwill in a single placement.

Schools generate revenue from digital scoreboards primarily through local advertising and sponsorships. Local businesses pay to display ads on the scoreboard during games and events. Ads rotate on-screen throughout each game, reaching a captive audience of students, parents, and community members. A full-service partner like DS Media handles all ad sales, content management, and advertiser relationships on the school's behalf. The school collects its share of the revenue without recruiting sponsors or managing the program. Revenue is distributed annually and can be directed to athletic department budgets, facility improvements, or general school programming.

Yes. DS Media offers schools a path to a new LED digital scoreboard with no net capital outlay. The model works by financing the scoreboard purchase through a multi-year term, then using advertising revenue generated by the scoreboard to cover the annual loan repayment. DS Media contractually guarantees that repayment regardless of advertising performance. Meaning the school's financial obligation is covered even if ad sales fall short in a given year. The school gains state-of-the-art technology, an annual revenue stream, and full equipment ownership at the end of the term without spending from its own budget.

Scoreboard advertising reaches a uniquely captive and community-loyal audience. High school sporting events draw parents, students, teachers, and local residents who share strong emotional ties to the school. Ads display prominently throughout each game in an environment where attendees are present for one to three hours with no ability to skip or ignore them. Repetition across a full season builds lasting brand recognition. Beyond impressions, scoreboard advertising carries an implicit community endorsement. Sponsoring a school signals that your business invests locally, which builds goodwill and trust that digital advertising cannot replicate.

Scoreboard advertising outperforms both channels in several key ways. Unlike billboards, which rely on a moving audience that glances for seconds, scoreboard ads are seen by a stationary, engaged crowd for the full duration of a game. Unlike social media ads, scoreboard ads cannot be skipped, blocked, or scrolled past, and they reach an audience that is already gathered around a shared community experience. Scoreboard advertising also carries community goodwill that neither billboards nor social media can provide: the audience knows their school benefits from the sponsorship, which creates a positive association with the advertising business that extends well beyond the game itself.

Modern LED scoreboards support multiple ad formats. Rotating brand ads are on-screen graphic ads that display continuously throughout the game, showing a business's logo, messaging, and call to action. Cinema ads are larger-format placements shown during high-attention moments — pregame, timeouts, and halftime — similar in format to a TV commercial. Brand wrappers are background graphics surrounding the scoreboard display, available for title sponsors seeking maximum visibility.

High school sporting events collectively draw more annual attendees than all professional sports combined in the United States. Individual school attendance varies significantly by market, sport, and community size. A basketball game at a large suburban high school may draw several hundred attendees per game, while football games at schools with strong athletic programs can draw several thousand. Across a full season of home events covering multiple sports, a single school's scoreboard can generate hundreds of thousands of ad impressions annually. DS Media works with each school partner to estimate realistic impression volume based on their specific event calendar and historical attendance before any advertising commitments are made.