Window Film in the World of Professional Sports

Originally written by Madico Window Films for the IWFA “View” publication.   Window film has many uses for office buildings, hospitals, cars, restaurants, schools, even on trains. One industry that uses film that’s a little under the radar is one of America’s favorites: professional sports.   Madico window film has been installed all over the professional sports landscape. Film makes the fan experience more enjoyable, makes the game a bit easier for the athletes, and provides the best in stadium aesthetics.   Longtime Chicago-area window film dealer Craig Freund, who recently retired, has been in the business for 35 years. Jobs have taken him all over the region, including two sporting venues- Wrigley Field and Soldier Field.   The Budweiser Bleacher Suite at Wrigley Field, home to the beloved Chicago Cubs, and located in center field allows large parties to eat, drink, and experience the game in a whole new way. The only problem: the movement of the suite’s patrons through the clear windows was very distracting to the batter. The solution: window film. With window film installed at the Budweiser Bleacher Suite, the movement behind the windows was darkened and subdued, now fans are free to move around at their leisure, and batters can take on major league fastballs free of distraction.   The Seattle Seahawks have used window film to ensure their players could practice at the highest level. The team has a beautiful practice facility in the Virginia Mason Athletic Center. The center has 12,000 square feet of fiberglass panels and its aesthetics are top notch, but the wide receivers didn’t like all the glass because it made the task of catching footballs increasingly difficult. Window film made the job easier for pass catchers as Madico’s Starlite8 greatly reduced the glare, while maintaining the aesthetics of one of the top practice facilities in the NFL.   While window film has been used in baseball stadiums and football practice facilities to keep athletes from distraction, its use at Tampa Bay’s Amalie Arena, home of the Tampa Bay Lightning, was more for the fans. The popular in-arena restaurant, Firestick Grill, was experiencing uncomfortable glare and heat coming through its feature wall of windows.   Madico window film was the clear solution to this problem. After the film was installed the glare and heat were reduced, making patrons and employees at Firestick Grill comfortable and keeping the aesthetic of the restaurant intact.   One fact as clear as the film itself – installing window film improves performance. In the past year, the Seahawks have played in the Super Bowl, the Lightning made it to the Stanley Cup Final, and the Cubs had their best season in over a decade!   Window film has endless benefits for consumers, and when it comes to professional sports, we go to great lengths to keep athletes and fans happy. Window film can be a great fit to professional sports teams around the country. It’s time to think about the teams in your area, and how they can better their performance with window film.