The Portland Trail Blazers have teamed up with Ticketmaster and OneCourt to become the first professional sports team to provide OneCourt’s haptic display at every home game for Blind or Low Vision fans. This cutting-edge technology enables fans who are Blind or Low Vision to experience live basketball action in real-time, at no additional cost.
OneCourt devices will be available to fans attending Trail Blazers home games at Moda Center on a first come, first served basis. Fans can email guest.experience@trailblazers.com for reservation inquiry. The devices may be checked out from the Guest Services stand at Entry A7, A24 on the 100-Level and C23 on the 300-Level at each game. For the remainder of the 2024-25 NBA regular season the arena will have five devices available at no additional cost to fans.
Using generative audio and haptics, OneCourt translates live gameplay into trackable vibrations, so fans can follow the live gameplay with their fingertips. The Trail Blazers worked with the NBA to provide OneCourt access to the NBA’s live gameplay tracking data in real-time. The real-time data is processed by OneCourt before it’s experienced by the fan as intuitive vibrations on the surface of the haptic display.
"We’re proud to become the first professional sports venue to provide OneCourt devices at every home game in partnership with Ticketmaster,” said Alli Stangel Tassin, Vice President of Events, Portland Trail Blazers and Rose Quarter. “Live sports should be an experience everyone can enjoy, and OneCourt’s groundbreaking technology is helping more fans feel connected to the game they love. Inclusivity is a core value of our organization, and this partnership is setting a new standard for accessible venues across not just the NBA but the entire sports and entertainment industry.”
“We believe that sports are for everyone, and last year’s pilot proved that OneCourt doesn’t just make live games accessible, it makes them more enjoyable for fans of any age, background, or visual ability. Many fans feel more empowered than ever before to join in on the action,” said Jerred Mace, Founder and CEO of OneCourt. “Thanks to the leadership of Antyush Bollini, COO and Cofounder, and Alexa Garay, Growth and Partnerships Lead, we’ve expanded this partnership to every Trail Blazers home game this season. This success highlights what’s possible when innovation meets inclusivity, and we’re excited to bring this proven technology to more teams and venues across the country.”
"We share the belief that every fan should feel fully connected to the energy and excitement of live events, and through our partnership with the Trail Blazers and OneCourt, more fans than ever can access the incredible moments of every Trail Blazers home game,” said Kurt Schwartzkopf, Executive Vice President and Co-Head of Sports, Ticketmaster. “This is a key step toward a more inclusive future, and we’re excited to continue expanding access and enhancing the fan experience through innovation and impactful partnerships.”
"As a parent, it was wonderful to see my children enjoy a professional sporting event fully,” said Leigh Ramsey, parent of a OneCourt user. “We attempted a game last summer and the frustration and heartache the whole family felt as we realized this might be our last live sporting event together was gut wrenching. This was amazing - inclusive, integrated, and not attention drawing. Thank you, thank you, thank you."
Source: Portland Trail Blazers
