If you ever come across a purple beam in the skies over Sacramento, know that the Kings have added a win to their record.
The new “Kings Victory Beam” was announced and debuted on 916 Day as a way for the team to increase fan engagement and further deepen its connection with the city.
Powered by four lasers, the beam will be lit for every home and away victory.
Although the first thing that might come to mind is the Bat Signal, the “Kings Victory Beam” was inspired by the MLB’s Los Angeles Angels, who historically activate a halo in the sky following a win.
The Kings, however, added their touch to the concept with the goal of creating a spectacle for fans to rally around.
“When I went to see David Kelley, he said, ‘Look, you’ve got to figure out what your purple lights are,'" Ranadivé told NBC Sports California. "I said, ‘What do you mean?’ And he said, ‘Well, if you ever go on Virgin [Airlines], you step on the plane and you sit down and you see these purple lights. You immediately know that this is going to be different from any other experience you’ve ever had on any other airline. It’s going to be unique, it’s going to be special, and you look forward to it.’
“We toyed with different ideas. Do we light up the Capitol building? Do we light up [Tower Bridge]? What do we do? But we really wanted it emanating from our building. So, there you have it. We now have the purple lights in form of a beam that shoots into outer space.”
Response to the beam has been tremendous. Calls for the beam during the game, chants for it to be lit following a win, even nicknaming the squad the “Beam Team.”
To add to the excitement, a Kings personality has the honor of activating the beam after every home game.