In August, the Portland Trail Blazers ended their partnership with ROOT Sports one year early. They elected to go with an over-the-air model and a subscription service, BlazerVision, to increase viewership and make games more accessible for fans.
Portland followed the Phoenix Suns, who experienced nearly double the local TV ratings after leaving Bally Sports Arizona. Other teams, including the Utah Jazz and New Orleans Pelicans, have gone this route as well. After other professional sports teams see how successful the switch has been for these pioneers and early adopters, it's only a matter of time before more teams join.
Not only is Portland making games easier to follow in terms of viewership, but they are also making them more accessible for blind and low-vision fans.
Blazers are the first professional sports team to provide OneCourt's haptic devices for blind and low-vision fans
The Blazers are officially the first professional sports team to implement OneCourt's haptic display, available at every home game (in partnership with Ticketmaster). OneCourt uses the NBA's live data with haptic feedback and audio to provide real-time updates for the fans using it.
It's exciting to see it gaining traction on social media -- not only so local fans can benefit but also in the hope that other sports teams will follow suit. A significant factor in the social media boost comes from Paralympic athlete and accessibility advocate Anthony S. Ferraro, who recently shared his positive experience with the device:
Using the haptic tactile device the @NBAOfficial needs to make available nation wide!!!! 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼 pic.twitter.com/gEhzy3Xo6S
— Anthony S. Ferraro (@asfvision) February 8, 2025
In their product announcement, the Blazers mentioned that they currently have five devices available for each game on a first come, first served basis at no additional cost. If fans are interested in reserving one, they can contact guest.experience@trailblazers.com. They can also check one out at the game at Guest Services, located in sections A7, A24, and C23.
Portland and OneCourt had a successful three-game trial period at the end of last season. “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," said OneCourt CEO Jerred Mace.
OneCourt is a Seattle-based startup, so it's only fitting that the Blazers are the first to introduce this technology as the NBA's only Pacific Northwest team. Hopefully, this will become another accessibility trend that other teams will follow after seeing how great it has been for fans in Portland.