Expected to be completed in September, the project represents a multimillion-dollar investment
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The feature will render it the only NBA or WNBA arena with a transparent screen of that scaleopen image in gallery
The feature will render it the only NBA or WNBA arena with a transparent screen of that scale (Getty Images)
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Ahead of hosting the 2027 NBA All-Star Game in February, the home venue of the Phoenix Suns is undergoing a prominent exterior transformation.
On Tuesday, the franchise announced plans to install an exterior LED display on Mortgage Matchup Center measuring 226 feet wide by 41 feet tall. The feature will render it the only NBA or WNBA arena with a transparent screen of that scale.
Expected to be completed in September, the project represents a multimillion-dollar investment.
The exterior LED display on Mortgage Matchup Center will measure 226 feet wide by 41 feet tallopen image in gallery
The exterior LED display on Mortgage Matchup Center will measure 226 feet wide by 41 feet tall (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)
Josh Bartelstein, CEO of both the Suns and the WNBA’s Phoenix Mercury, said the display extends beyond All-Star preparations. He hopes it becomes a downtown Phoenix focal point where fans can watch highlights, preview upcoming games, or gather for away-game watch parties.
"It's something that (owner) Mat (Ishbia) pushes us on every year — what's the big thing to improve the fan experience?" Bartelstein said. "We don't take for granted that we get 17,000 fans every night, so we want to create memories that will last a lifetime."
The Suns currently hold a 209-game sellout streak stretching back to 2021, covering both regular season and postseason fixtures.
Phoenix will be hosting the All-Star Game for the fourth time and its first since 2009. The city hosted the WNBA All-Star Game in 2024, a weekend where Ishbia made a major financial statement by debuting a $100 million practice facility dedicated solely to the Mercury.
"Mat has tasked us with making it the best ever," Bartelstein said of the upcoming All-Star Game. "The best ever is in all the details. For every fan that comes in town, all the players, the different teams, we care about every detail. You're going to see that once the All-Star Game comes here in February.
"Obviously, things like the video board will make a statement when you walk in. And then we'll have a lot of other things along the way that separate us and help the league grow."