Innovation took center stage at the fourth annual SBA: Tech event held at the Hard Rock Hotel in Manhattan, where industry executives gathered to celebrate the most impactful sports technologies of the year. The evening was hosted by Andrew Hawkins, co-founder of StatusPro and ESPN analyst, who guided the audience through a night of awards. The atmosphere in the room was lively, matching the music and culminating in a standing ovation for Chris Benyarko, who won Technology Executive of the Year.
The SBA: Tech event honored a variety of advancements across the sports industry. The Best in AI award went to Raise Performance & Insights Cloud (EPIC), an AI data platform that tracks consumer insights, ticketing management, and property analytics for over 230 clients using data from more than 450 million individuals and 1.7 billion devices. Plantiga received the Best in Athlete Performance Technology award for its insole sensors, which are approved for use in the NBA, NFL, and FIFA to help coaches analyze movement data.
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OneCourt secured the Best in Fan Experience Technology award for its haptic tablets that allow blind and low-vision fans to follow live games through vibrations. The devices are used by multiple NBA teams and the MLB’s Diamondbacks, with four NFL teams currently participating in pilots. The Best in Immersive Technology award was given to the MLB App in XR, which offers 3D renderings and data visualizations on headsets like the Apple Vision Pro and Meta Quest.
On the operational side, Retailcloud won Best in Venue & Franchise Operations Technology for its point-of-sale software and inventory tracking system, while TGL presented by SoFi won Best Technology Collaboration for its 11-company tech stack that combines swing simulators and ball-tracking technology to create a new way to play and watch golf.
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Focus on accessibility
OneCourt made a significant impact by winning both Fan Experience Technology of the Year and the night’s top prize, Sports Technology of the Year. OneCourt COO Antyush Bollini accepted the award, thanking the crowd for their support. “I leave you guys with one thing, which is where would we all be without sports?” said Bollini. “It’s a huge part of all our lives. And there’s so many people who can’t access it in the same way as us. So, let’s keep doing this.”
Founded in 2021, the company continues to expand its presence, deploying devices at events like the NBA All-Star Weekend and the FIFA Club World Cup.