How Much Does a Scoreboard Cost?


Written by:  Howmuchisit.org Staff

A scoreboard is a large board that shows the scores of sporting events to the public, along with different statistics and the time left before the game is over.  Modern scoreboards use electromechanical displays which are composed of large dot matrix displays made with incandescent bulbs and light emitting diodes.  The price of a scoreboard depends on the type, the features, the size, the sport and the company installing.

Scoreboard by AlphaTangoBravo / Adam Baker, on Flickr
Scoreboard” (CC BY 2.0) by AlphaTangoBravo / Adam Baker

How much does a scoreboard cost?

On average, portable scoreboards can cost anywhere from $200 to as much as $9,000; however, most purchases are going to be within the $200 to $2,000 range for a higher quality, portable scoreboard. For example, the SSG/BSN Tabletop Scoreboard retails for $420 to $559.

A simple manual scoreboard can be as little as $20, and this type of scoreboard only features the time and scores, and the operator will have to flip the numbers to show the scores.

Scoreboards that are often seen at basketball or football games in a setting such as a high school can cost upwards of $9,000 depending on what features and colors you want.  For example, the MacGregor MCSB186M retails for $8,000 to $10,000.

Daktronics scoreboard, a popular scoreboard used in college and professional sports venues, can cost $3,000 to more than $15,000 for a used scoreboard unit.  As of this writing, one university was selling its electronic Daktronics scoreboard on eBay for close to $13,000.  Again, these were used prices and the price of a new scoreboard is unknown at this time.

Refer to our table below to see what many retailers are charging online for various sports.

TypePrice Average
Baseball- $2,000 for 8' x 4' x 8"
- $2,500 for 8' x 5' x 8"
- $3,000 for 8' x 5' x 8"
- $6,000 for 15' x 6'6" x 8"
- $10,000 for 28' x 8' x 8"
Football- $2,000 for 8' x 4' x 8"
- $7,000 for 20' x 8' x 8"
- $8,500 for 24' x 8' x 8"
Soccer- $2,000 for 8' x 4' x 8"
- $7,000 for 20' x 8' x 8"
Softball- $300 to $500 for portable LED
- $2,000 for 8' x 4' x 8"
- $2,500 for 8' x 5' x 8"
- $3,000 for 8' x 5' x 8"
- $5,500 for 20' x 8' x 8"
- $10,000 for 28' x 8' x 8"
Volleyball- $300 to $500 for portable LED
- $2,500 to $9,000 for indoor mounted.
Wrestling- $300 to $500 for portable LED
- $1,000 to $9,000 for indoor mounted.

Scoreboard overview

Depending on the sport, most scoreboards will come equipped with the score, the period/quarter/inning being played and a timer.  Then, depending on the sport, additional space will be added.  For example, baseball scoreboards will have the ball, strike and out count, whereas a basketball scoreboard will have a possession arrow and if the team is currently in the bonus.

Scoreboards on the market will often be categorized in different types.  These types can include standard sizes, which are about 18 feet in length, midsize scoreboards, which can be about 24 feet in length, and larger scale scoreboards, which can be up to 36 feet in length.  Every scoreboard, as commonly seen at sporting events, can come in various dimensions, sizes, depths and inclusions.  Most of your larger scoreboards will have a LED display and will come equipped with a wireless controller.

 What are the extra costs?

There are types of sporting events that need to display additional information such as the shot clock in a basketball game or a delay of game clock in football.  This piece of the scoreboard is usually an additional cost.  most of these clocks, depending on the size, can range anywhere from as little as $200 to more than $2,000+

Professionally sized scoreboards will require special attention when it comes down to the installation process.  Electrical work and special mounts will be needed in order to ensure that the scoreboard is hung properly.  If using a professional, this will be an additional cost, and the costs can be all over the place, depending on the exact situation.

Customization or specialized decals and/or colors on the scoreboard can increase the price.  Without customization, scoreboards often come in blue, green, purple, red, maroon or black colors.

Tips to know

According to Electro-mech.com, the first thing you will want to do is figure out is where the scoreboard is going to be placed.  If it’s going to be inside a venue, then a permanent solution will be ideal, but if it needs to be mobile, then it may be ideal to invest in a wireless, portable scoreboard.

The next thing you need to look at are the advertising abilities if you’re going to have advertisements around the scoreboard.  Whether it’s via streaming video or a billboard installed directly on the scoreboard, this will come down to a personal preference.  The website noted above says a LED scoreboard with streaming video could make a great choice since you will be able to instantly play replays and even show videos in real time to the crowd, making for a better fan experience.

Popular portable scoreboards on Amazon

How can I save money?

Talk with at least three retailers to see what kind of models they offer.  Be sure to focus on more than the price as every scoreboard will vary with warranties, features, credibility and durability.


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