LED Lighting for Sports Courts: A Buyer's Guide

Proper lighting extends your court's usable hours and improves safety. LED technology has revolutionized sports lighting with better efficiency, longer lifespan, and instant-on capability.

Lighting Requirements by Sport

Tennis: 50–75 foot-candles for recreational play, 75–125 for competitive. Four poles with 2–4 fixtures each is standard for a single court.

Basketball: 30–50 foot-candles for recreational, 50–100 for competitive. Two to four poles depending on court size.

Pickleball: 30–50 foot-candles for recreational play. Two poles are often sufficient for a single court.

Installation Costs

A complete LED lighting system for a single court typically costs $8,000–$25,000 installed, including poles, fixtures, wiring, and controls. Multi-court installations benefit from shared infrastructure and can reduce per-court costs by 20–30%.

Energy Savings

LED fixtures use 50–70% less energy than traditional metal halide lights. A typical court lighting system costs $50–$150 per month to operate at 3–4 hours per night. LED fixtures last 50,000–100,000 hours versus 10,000–20,000 for metal halide.

Smart Controls

Modern systems offer programmable timers, motion sensors, dimming capability, and remote smartphone control. These features save energy and provide convenience for both private and public facilities.