Rent or Buy a Scoreboard? The Numbers for Football Clubs

The club tournament is coming up, the cup draw has handed you a Super League opponent, and someone on the organising committee asks: "Couldn't we just rent a scoreboard?" Whether renting, leasing or buying is cheaper for your club depends almost entirely on one number: how many days a year you need the scoreboard. This article works through three scenarios in CHF, describes honestly what leasing means for a Swiss club, and lists what rental quotes tend to leave out.

Three scenarios that cover almost every club

Scenario A is the classic rental case. Scenario C is almost always a purchase case. Scenario B is the grey area where doing the maths pays off.

Renting a scoreboard: what the Swiss market offers

Anyone searching for "football scoreboard hire" or "LED wall hire sports ground" finds event LED rental companies and German manufacturers. According to our research, there is no specialised scoreboard rental provider for clubs in Switzerland.

Event LED rental companies (Switzerland). Providers such as ledwallmieten.ch, e-display.ch or screencom.ch rent modular outdoor LED walls for events. Billing is typically per square metre of LED surface per day; as a guide (as of 2026, depending on the provider), published base prices are around CHF 150 to 200 per m², usually with outdoor modules around 3.9 mm pixel pitch. The complete package with planning, set-up and dismantling and an on-site technician is available on request. For a 3x2 m wall (6 m²) that means around CHF 900 to 1,200 for the wall rental alone; with transport, set-up, power, technician and expenses we reckon with a day package of about CHF 2,000 to 3,500 (estimate, depending on the provider, distance and set-up effort; get two quotes). Our installation partner can also quote an LED wall for tournaments; ask via our contact form.

Renting a classic digit scoreboard. Practically no offer in Switzerland. The German manufacturer Schauf rents classic outdoor scoreboards by the week from EUR 399 per week (indoor scoreboards from EUR 299, minimum 7 days, set-up by the customer), but expressly only to customers within Germany with collection in Remscheid. For a club tournament in Aargau that is not an option.

Software and laptop. The LED wall is only the canvas. Score, clock and sponsors come from software you bring yourself; rental companies supply an HDMI input and nothing else. How the set-up works with a laptop is explained in Which hardware do I need for LemonScore?.

Buying: the three price brackets

The purchase side, rounded and without discounts:

• Classic digit scoreboard (score, clock, period): CHF 1,980 to 3,700 from Swiss retailers such as Ruckstuhl Sport (Derby 19 RC, CHF 1,980), Activa Sport (CHF 2,417) or HUSPO (CHF 2,150 to 3,700), as of our research in 2026. No sponsors, no names, no video.
• LED wall 3x2 m all-in: CHF 12,000 to 15,000 including panels, controller, foundation or mast mounting and installation. The details are in the cost article. The software licence comes on top; the tiers are on the pricing page.
• Mobile control unit: The LemonScore Controller Case (CHF 3,850, with Stream Deck) is designed for clubs that run the display at changing locations: indoor tournament in January, grass pitch in June, anniversary in the marquee.

The break-even calculation over 5 years

Assumptions: day package CHF 2,500 for the rented LED wall, purchase price CHF 13,500 for the 3x2 m wall depreciated over 8 years plus CHF 400 per year for power, cleaning and reserve, digit scoreboard CHF 2,800 over 10 years. Software licences are excluded; they apply equally to renting and buying.

Renting only pays off if the event really is a one-off. A club that runs a tournament with a rented LED wall every year has paid almost the purchase price after five years and owns nothing. The digit scoreboard is cheap but brings in not a single franc of sponsorship income. It is exactly this income that tips the calculation, as the worked example on financing with sponsors shows.

The hybrid model: software all year, LED wall for one day

For many clubs in scenarios A and B the best answer is neither "rent" nor "buy" but both, in the right order:

1. All year round: The scoreboard software runs on a club laptop and plays to a TV in the clubhouse or a projector in the hall. Cost: a used laptop, an HDMI cable, the licence. You can try this with the free 15-minute demo before buying anything.
2. For the big event: You rent the LED wall and plug in the same laptop via HDMI. Same layouts, same sponsor logos, same operation from your phone on the touchline. Nothing needs to be set up again.
3. Refinancing: Sell a "tournament screen" sponsorship package: four to six sponsors at CHF 400 to 600 each cover the rental day. If you are looking for sponsors, you will find templates in Finding sponsors for your football club.

This way you practise operation and sponsor logic on a small scale for a year before applying for a permanent LED wall; that strengthens your case at the club general meeting.

Leasing for clubs: the honest version

German and Austrian providers advertise leasing "from EUR 26 per month" (Flyeralarm Digital Signage, depending on lease type and term), leasing from around EUR 100 per month (ACT LED-Displays, Austria) or hire purchase "from EUR 99 per month" (Schauf, 48-month minimum term, final instalment EUR 99, installation and 5-year manufacturer warranty included, video walls on request). These are entry-level instalments for small classic scoreboards; an LED wall costs several times that per month. Swiss clubs should be aware of a few realities:

• Clubs rarely have creditworthiness in the banking sense. A football club usually keeps a simple income and expenditure account, not a balance sheet with equity. Leasing companies, however, check exactly that. Expect a joint and several guarantee from one or two board members to be required, depending on the lessor.
• A guarantee is personal. Under Art. 493 of the Swiss Code of Obligations (OR), a guarantee by a natural person above CHF 2,000 requires a public deed, and under Art. 494 OR the written consent of the spouse or registered partner (if in doubt, ask a notary or fiduciary). Whoever stands guarantor is personally liable, even after stepping down from the board.
• Board authority and general meeting resolution. In principle only the club's assets are liable for the club's debts (Art. 75a of the Swiss Civil Code, unless the articles of association provide otherwise). What the board may sign on its own is set out in the articles; many clubs have a spending limit for the board, above which the general meeting decides. A lease over 36 to 60 months binds the next board; have it approved by the general meeting.
• Leasing is more expensive than buying. Interest, administration and residual value are priced in. Leasing only makes sense if the sponsorship contracts are already signed and cover the instalments. The German provider eureanzeigetafel.de assumes in its financing model that sponsors refinance the scoreboard over four years; that is the provider's worked example, not a promise.

Before you consider a lease, exhaust the interest-free routes: Swisslos Sportfonds (submit the application before the purchase, not after), sponsor pre-sales, crowdfunding or a contribution from the municipality. For clubs in Germany, see the article on sports facility funding.

What rental quotes often leave out

The wall rental per m² is the smallest item. Check every quote for these points:

• Transport and expenses: Mileage allowance, two trips (delivery, collection), technician hours.
• Set-up and structure: Ground stands with ballast or scaffolding, wind load, protection against balls.
• Power: Depending on the panels, a 3x2 m wall needs 1.5 to 3 kW peak load, usually via CEE 16 A, 400 V. Is that available at the ground, or do you need a generator?
• Permit: Temporary structures on public ground or within sight of a road may need a permit depending on the municipality. Ask the building authority early.
• Insurance and weather: Who is liable in case of storm, hail, vandalism? What is the cancellation policy if the event is called off?
• Software, content, operator: Never in the package. You bring score, clock and sponsor loop yourself; clarify whether the technician stays all day.

Checklist for the rental enquiry

Send the rental company these details so that quotes become comparable:

• Surface and format (e.g. 3x2 m, 16:9 or 3:2)
• Pixel pitch (outdoor up to 30 m viewing distance: 3.9 to 6 mm is enough, see Pixel pitch explained)
• Brightness (outdoor in sunlight at least 4,000 nits)
• Signal input: HDMI 1080p from the laptop
• Controller type (Novastar or comparable) and whether the wall resolution is scaled freely
• Set-up time (evening before?), spare modules on site, price for a second day
• Power connection available: yes/no, which type

Decision guide

Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to rent an LED scoreboard for a day?

Published base prices from Swiss event rental companies are, as a guide, around CHF 150 to 200 per m² of LED surface per day. With transport, set-up, power and technician, reckon with a day package of about CHF 2,000 to 3,500 for a 3x2 m wall, depending on the provider and distance.

Can you rent a classic football scoreboard?

Hardly at all in Switzerland. German manufacturers such as Schauf rent digit scoreboards from EUR 399 per week, but only within Germany. For a single event, a rented LED wall with your own software is the more realistic solution.

Is leasing worthwhile for a club?

Only if the sponsorship income reliably covers the instalments and the general meeting has approved the contract. Expect a personal guarantee from board members, because clubs can rarely demonstrate creditworthiness in the banking sense. Check Swisslos Sportfonds and sponsor pre-sales first.

From how many events per year is buying worthwhile?

By our calculation, from about two events per year over five years, provided there is a fixed location. At changing locations, a mobile set with Controller Case is the alternative to a permanent LED wall.

Conclusion

The question "rent or buy a scoreboard?" is answered by the number of days of use. One-off event: rent, bring your own software, refinance the rental day with a sponsorship package. Several events per year: hybrid model, and work calmly towards a purchase. Full season: buy, finance via Sportfonds and sponsors, lease only with a general meeting resolution and in full knowledge of the personal guarantee. What a permanently installed digital scoreboard costs is explained in the article on costs. If you are looking for an LED wall with matching software for your tournament: get in touch and we will clarify with our installation partner what is possible on your date.