For years, blind and low-vision sports fans have relied on audio commentary to follow games, but delays and missed moments often left them asking friends or family for updates. Now, the NFL is teaming up with Seattle-based startup OneCourt to give some Super Bowl attendees a more immersive way to follow the action.
OneCourt’s device, about the size of a thick iPad, provides real-time tactile feedback for major sporting events. Raised lines on its surface map out the field, while different vibrations signal specific plays. The device also includes headphones, letting users follow their team’s radio broadcast with minimal delay. Founded in 2021 by University of Washington students, OneCourt was inspired when CEO Jerred Mace saw a blind man using a tactile game board at a soccer match.
During the most recent NFL season, the device was piloted at 15 games in collaboration with the NFL and Ticketmaster, including matchups hosted by the Seahawks, Jaguars, and 49ers. For the Super Bowl on Sunday, Feb. 8, roughly 10 blind and low-vision fans will get to try it.
Scott Thornhill, executive director of the American Council of the Blind, said the device will let him experience the game “as close as possible as people who can see,” adding, “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.”
OneCourt’s devices are already in use at eight NBA arenas, including Brooklyn, Denver, and Orlando, and a waitlist has opened for fans interested in using one at home.
NFL TEAMS UP WITH STARTUP TO HELP BLIND AND LOW-VISION FANS FOLLOW SUPER BOWL BEYOND AUDIO COMMENTARY.
NFL teams up with startup to help blind and low-vision fans follow Super Bowl beyond audio commentary
For years, blind and low-vision sports fans have relied on audio commentary to follow games, but delays and missed moments often left them asking friends or family for updates. Now, the NFL is teaming up with Seattle-based startup OneCourt to give some Super Bowl attendees a more immersive way to follow the action.
OneCourt’s device, about the size of a thick iPad, provides real-time tactile feedback for major sporting events. Raised lines on its surface map out the field, while different vibrations signal specific plays. The device also includes headphones, letting users follow their team’s radio broadcast with minimal delay. Founded in 2021 by University of Washington students, OneCourt was inspired when CEO Jerred Mace saw a blind man using a tactile game board at a soccer match.
During the most recent NFL season, the device was piloted at 15 games in collaboration with the NFL and Ticketmaster, including matchups hosted by the Seahawks, Jaguars, and 49ers. For the Super Bowl on Sunday, Feb. 8, roughly 10 blind and low-vision fans will get to try it.
Scott Thornhill, executive director of the American Council of the Blind, said the device will let him experience the game “as close as possible as people who can see,” adding, “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.”
OneCourt’s devices are already in use at eight NBA arenas, including Brooklyn, Denver, and Orlando, and a waitlist has opened for fans interested in using one at home.
