Some blind fans to experience Super Bowl with tactile device that tracks ball

Blind and low-vision football fans will experience the Super Bowl in an unprecedented way this year, thanks to innovative tactile technology that brings the game to life through touch and real-time audio.

The NFL has partnered with technology startup OneCourt and Ticketmaster to offer a tablet-sized device that tracks ball movement, vibrates during key plays, and provides immediate audio commentary for visually impaired spectators. About ten blind and low-vision fans will use this technology at the upcoming Super Bowl in Santa Clara, California, where the Seattle Seahawks will face the New England Patriots on February 8.

“It will allow me to engage and enjoy the game as close as possible as people who can see,” said Scott Thornhill, executive director of the American Council of the Blind, who will be among those experiencing the Super Bowl with the device. Diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa at age 8, Thornhill later lost his sight completely. “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.”

The technology has already made a significant impact during a pilot program that ran 15 times throughout the regular NFL season. Games hosted by the Seattle Seahawks, Jacksonville Jaguars, San Francisco 49ers, Atlanta Falcons, and Minnesota Vikings all featured the assistive technology.

Clark Roberts, a Seahawks fan who lost his sight at age 24 due to retinitis pigmentosa, recently experienced the device firsthand at Seattle’s December 14 home game against Indianapolis. “The device does two wonderful things,” Roberts explained. “It vibrates in different ways for different plays and through headphones, I was able to hear Seattle’s amazing announcer, Steve Raible.”

The tablet-sized device features raised lines outlining a football field. Using tracking data from Genius Sports—the same technology behind the NFL’s NextGen Stats—OneCourt translates player and ball movements into distinct vibration patterns. The system can communicate different types of plays through unique tactile feedback, allowing users to feel tackles, touchdowns, and other key moments as they happen.

“Real-time audio is the real beauty of the device,” Roberts added. “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.”

OneCourt, headquartered in Seattle, was founded in 2023 by Jerred Mace after he observed a blind person attending a soccer match during his junior year at the University of Washington. The startup has expanded beyond football, partnering with NBA and MLB teams to provide their devices at games. Discussions are also underway with the NHL and other sports organizations globally.

“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,” said OneCourt co-founder Antyush Bollini.

Ticketmaster has played a crucial role in the initiative by providing funding that makes the devices available to fans at no cost. “This is a very, very big social impact win,” said Scott Aller, senior client development director at Ticketmaster. “We hope that we can make an investment like this in every single one of our markets.”

The NFL’s commitment to inclusivity drove the decision to implement this technology. “It’s not lost on us that we have blind to low-vision fans and we want to do right by them,” said Belynda Gardner, senior director of diversity equity and inclusion for the NFL. “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.”

The impact on fans has been profound. Thomas Rice, a blind Jacksonville Jaguars supporter who tested the device at EverBank Stadium, described a transformative experience: “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. It was like giving me my own pair of eyes.”

For these fans, the technology represents more than just enhanced game access—it’s a reconnection to a beloved sport they thought they might never fully experience again. As Thornhill put it, “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. It’s a game-changer.”