VenuesNow (06/02/22) Muret, Don

German manufacturer ASB GlassFloor is engaged in discussions with a few National Basketball Association (NBA) teams about using their light-emitting diode (LED) technology for practice courts, fanfests and watch parties near facilities. One team executive said the talks do not concern LED glass floors replacing standard wood floors used for NBA games, although last month the International Basketball Federation approved the use of the technology at the highest level of competition globally. The technology has existed for about 10 years and comes in two brands: the high-end LumiFlex model with full motion video, which runs $500 per square foot, amounting to around $2 million for the total floor; and a basic model that provides markings for multiple sports and can transition from tennis to basketball in seconds, running $80 to $90 per square foot with a total cost of about $350,000. Country music artist Garth Brooks used LumiFlex for his 2016 tour, partly because it is a slip-free surface, according to ASB GlassFloor's Marcus Kugler. LumiFlex's tradeoff for teams is adding the digital component to their sponsorship inventory to produce a return on investment. "We're in an era where teams are trying to get as creative as possible with new inventory and we [as marketers] are being asked to find new revenue streams," said Gemini Sports Group President Rob Yowell. "This is one more opportunity to generate an impression."

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