The Denver Nuggets’ new tactile broadcast initiative lets blind fans experience live games through vibrations, transforming accessibility and fan engagement.

DENVER — The Denver Nuggets are introducing tactile broadcast technology at Ball Arena that allows blind and low-vision fans to experience live basketball through vibrations, giving them a new way to follow the action in real time during the 2025-26 NBA season.

The Nuggets, in partnership with Ticketmaster and OneCourt, are offering handheld devices that use vibrations to let fans literally feel the game as it happens, tracking where the ball is on the court through touch. The devices will be available free of charge at every home game.

Julie Deden, director of the Colorado Center for the Blind and a lifelong Nuggets fan, was among the first to try the technology. She said the experience gave her a new way to engage with the sport she loves.

“I’ve lived in Colorado my whole life, so I’ve been familiar with the Nuggets,” Deden said. “Just growing up here naturally, I would be a Nuggets fan for sure.”

Deden, who typically listens to games on the radio, said she was excited about the new opportunity. “To be able to actually use my fingertips to feel what’s going on on the court, I’m really excited to be able to have this experience,” she said. “I think it will be very similar to what it might be for someone who is seeing the action.”

The OneCourt device uses advanced haptic technology that translates the movement of the ball and gameplay into vibrations that users can feel beneath their fingertips. As plays unfold on the court, fans can track the ball’s position and key actions through the tactile broadcast that mirrors the gameplay on the court in real time.

Deden said she hopes to use the experience to introduce more fans at her organization to Denver basketball. “I really wanted to come, and so I do have to admit that,” she said. “But really the big thing is sharing it with others and getting others really excited.”

She emphasized the broader importance of accessibility. “Just because you lost your vision does not mean that your life is over,” Deden said. “There is so much more to life than only seeing.”

Deden and her husband, Dan, said the technology took some getting used to, but by the end of the first quarter, they were able to follow along with the action from baseline to baseline.

“I see this OneCourt device as being a way to actively participate in watching a game,” Deden said. “You don’t have to see to pick up on energy.”