Large Screen TVs Make a Comeback Due to Cost and New Smartphone Technology
In the past, fitness clubs would either offer cardio equipment with personal viewing screens, or overhead TVs, and it was rare to see both being offered. The increase in smartphone usage is definitely making an impact on the fitness industry, and club owners are adapting to it. In 2017, the number of smartphone users in the United States was estimated at 224 million; by 2022, it to exceed 270 million.
Large screen TVs have also dramatically decreased in price over the years. They are not only much more affordable but also easier to install. Some of you may remember the days when those heavy CRT TVs were cutting edge. A 25” CRT TV weighed more than one hundred pounds and required at least three people to install it, requiring a durable mount and, if you were hanging the TVs, a lift of some sort. Not only were the TVs expensive, but the overall cost once you included mounting hardware and labor, was a serious investment. Compare that to today’s technology, where a 50” LED TV only weighs on average thirty pounds and, because of its lighter weight, doesn’t require the costly mounting hardware or the same amount of labor hours for installation. The current cost of a 50” TV is less than $300.00 for a consumer model; commercial models will cost you on average $700.00. The reason for the difference in price between the consumer and commercial models comes down to features and durability. The commercial models are designed to run between seventeen and twenty-four hours a day, have longer warranties, a better picture, and more features.
“In the past six months, we have seen a substantial increase with fitness clubs installing large screen TVs, along with cardio equipment with built-in TVs/Entertainment,” says Mark Blake, COO of Broadcastvision Entertainment. The current trend is to purchase cardio equipment with built-in or attached entertainment, and to also install three to four large screen TVs throughout the club. Depending on the size of the facility, a few TVs will be installed in the cardio area and also throughout the free-weight and circuit training areas. In order to allow the members access to the audio from these large screen TVs, club owners are installing new technology that is Wi-Fi based. This new technology called AudioFetch will send the audio from any of the TVs to an app that is downloaded on the user’s smartphone or tablet. This allows the members to tune into any of the TVs to listen to the audio with no restrictions. “Fitness clubs realize the importance of keeping their members entertained, both on the cardio equipment and throughout the club. Since this new technology allows the members to listen to the large screen TVs using their smartphones, they are not restricted to the cardio area, and they can roam around the entire club”, says Blake.
In addition to the freedom that AudioFetch creates for the members, the fitness club can also customize the app with their logo and brand colors, integrate it easily into their app, and also advertise on the app.
To learn more, contact Mark Blake at markb@broadcastvision.com or 888.330.4283 x 102.