Texas Motor Speedway debuts Big Hoss TV with Duck Dynasty episode

Texas Motor Speedway (TMS) unveiled the biggest sports video board in the world on Wednesday night when the 12-story Big Hoss TV made its debut.

“There’s nothing like attending a live sporting event,” TMS president Eddie Gossage said.

“With this, you don’t miss a thing. To me, it’s the ultimate fan amenity. To have the biggest one in the world, that’s just another one of those ‘everything’s bigger in Texas’ stories that we’re really proud to be a part of.”

The 20,633-square foot screen constructed by Panasonic is 79% larger than the monitor that hangs over the playing surface at AT&T Stadium. Jerry Jones’ two-sided screen cost $40 million. Eddie Gossage declined to give the total amount of the TMS board.

The Big Hoss TV is designed to hold its own against winds up to 130 miles per hour. The strength of the LED bulbs has been tested by having golf balls hit off the screen to simulate hail.

Helio Castroneves, a four-time Verizon IndyCar Series winner at TMS, said the screen’s size could be distracting for drivers during the race.

“The good news is that it’s so fast on the back straightaway that it would be hard for us to try to look,” said Helio Castroneves, who is scheduled to be part of the IndyCar field at TMS on June 7.

“Hopefully when we come back here in June, I can see myself in the victory circle on that big TV.”

The unveiling included a showing of the newest episode of A&E’s Duck Dynasty. Duck Commander, the company the show is centered around, is the sponsor of the NASCAR Sprint Cup race on April 6.

Duck Dynasty’s Willie and Korie Robertson were on hand and were presented with custom-painted racing helmets.

“I think a lot of these guys and gals watch the show, so it’s a good combination for us,” Willie Robertson said.

“We were thrilled to put our name on it. If you told me we were going to do this a couple years ago, I would’ve never believed it.”