NBA Launchpad seeking innovation submissions for second season
The National Basketball Association (NBA) has announced the second installment of NBA Launchpad, the league’s initiative to source, evaluate and pilot emerging technologies that advance the NBA’s top priorities on and off the court. Given the success of the platform during its inaugural year, the 2023 NBA Launchpad is expanding to identify emerging fan experiences at home and in NBA arenas.
Companies and entrepreneurs can apply to NBA Launchpad by submitting innovations that address one of six priority areas:
Fan experience: game production and viewing experience, in-seat experience, sports betting experience.
Basketball: soft tissue injury prevention and recovery, healthy playing habits in youth basketball, disrupting the game (open category).
Following a rigorous evaluation process, selected applicants will participate in a six-month R&D project within the NBA’s ecosystem. As part of NBA Launchpad, companies and entrepreneurs will receive access to NBA resources, hands-on support and other unique incentives to develop future technologies. At the conclusion of the programme, Launchpad companies will present to NBA executives, strategic partners and investors during Demo Day at NBA Summer League.
For the Game Production and Viewing Experience priority area, the NBA is seeking to continue to innovate how the game of basketball is produced, distributed and experienced. Technologies that create new models for game production and distribution or introduce new forms of game viewership will allow for continued game innovation and will improve telecasts for NBA fans around the world.
In-Seat Experience considers every moment during a fan’s journey as an opportunity to deepen their fandom. In order to keep fans engaged and immersed in the game, the NBA is seeking technologies that involve fans directly from their seats to create interactive business solutions and fan activations to enhance the game day experience.
Sports Betting Experience recognises that sports betting is growing in popularity in the US as new states legalise throughout the country, but the state-by-state rollout has stifled product innovation. The NBA is seeking technologies that make the experience of betting on the live game more engaging, more intuitive and more enjoyable for fans. Potential areas of interest include, but are not limited to, dynamic ‘microbetting’ opportunities, interactive products allowing fans to suggest what they want to bet, and live game digital overlays to access betting accounts. Sportradar, the NBA’s Official Partner, will join the advisory board and help assess the technologies.