7 months ago
Blind Fans Experience Super Bowl with Tactile Device
The NFL, OneCourt, and Ticketmaster have teamed up to create a special device for blind and low-vision fans to enjoy the Super Bowl.
This device, called OneCourt, helps fans feel where the ball is and hear what's happening in the game.
It vibrates in different ways for different plays and provides real-time audio through headphones.
About 10 fans will use this device at the Super Bowl in Santa Clara, California.
The device uses data from the NFL's tracking technology to create unique vibrations for plays like tackles and touchdowns.
The NFL and OneCourt hope this technology will make the game more accessible and enjoyable for blind and low-vision fans.
The NFL, OneCourt, and Ticketmaster have partnered to provide a tactile device for blind and low-vision fans to experience the Super Bowl.
The device, called OneCourt, tracks the ball, vibrates on key plays, and provides real-time audio through headphones.
About 10 blind and low-vision fans will use the device at the Super Bowl in Santa Clara, California, where the Seattle Seahawks will play the New England Patriots on February 8.
The device uses data from the NFL's tracking technology to create unique vibrations for plays like tackles and touchdowns.
OneCourt is working with other sports leagues, including the NBA and MLB, to provide its devices at games and is in talks with the NHL and other organizations worldwide.
- Who
- Blind and low-vision fans, NFL, OneCourt, Ticketmaster
- What
- Tactile device that tracks the ball and provides real-time audio for blind and low-vision fans
- Where
- Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, California
- When
- Pilot during regular-season games and at the Super Bowl on February 8
- Why
- To provide unprecedented access to the Super Bowl for blind and low-vision fans
Key facts
- Device
- OneCourt tablet
- Technology Partners
- NFL, OneCourt, Ticketmaster
- Super Bowl Location
- Levi’s Stadium, Santa Clara, California
- Super Bowl Date
- February 8
- Teams Playing
- Seattle Seahawks vs. New England Patriots
- Founder
- Jerred Mace
- Data Provider
- Genius Sports
- NFL's Tracking Data Usage
- NextGen Stats for health, player safety, statistics, and gambling
Quotes
Scott Thornhill
Executive director of the American Council of the Blind
“It will allow me to engage and enjoy the game as close as possible as people who can see.”
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“As someone who grew up playing sports before I lost my vision, I'm getting a big part of my life back that I've been missing. To attend a game and not have to wait for someone to tell me what happened, it's hard to even describe how much that means to me.”
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Clark Roberts
Seahawks fan who experienced the OneCourt device
“The device does two wonderful things. It vibrates in different ways for different plays and through headphones, I was able to hear Seattle's amazing announcer, Steve Raible. Real-time audio is the real beauty of the device because usually when I'm listening to a game, there can be a delay of up to a minute or more and that can be challenging to constantly ask family and friends what happened.”
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“Can you imagine how this can open up everything, not just football?”
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Belynda Gardner
Senior director of diversity equity and inclusion for the NFL
“It’s not lost on us that we have blind to low-vision fans and we want to do right by them.”
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“We’re reviewing what we learned and evaluating how it can be implemented going forward. There aren’t any definitive next steps and we will use the offseason to determine where this technology sits in the NFL’s suite of offerings.”
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Thomas Rice
Jaguars fan who is blind
“When Trevor Lawrence threw a touchdown pass to Brian Thomas Jr., I felt the ball travel through the air. When Travis Etienne ran the ball, I could feel it happen along the sideline.”
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“It was like giving me my own pair of eyes.”
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Antyush Bollini
Co-founder of OneCourt
“It's a testament to the maturity of the product and our company that we have gone from delivering this to a handful of teams throughout the last year or two to having it at the largest event in American sports. The Super Bowl is such an amazing event and now blind and low-vision fans can use our technology in a way they deserve.”
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Scott Aller
Senior client development director at Ticketmaster
“This is a very, very big social impact win. We hope that we can make an investment like this in every single one of our markets.”
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