SBJ Tech Week in New York City began last night with a celebration of the fourth annual Sports Business Awards: Tech.
Industry executives piled into the Hard Rock Hotel in Manhattan to celebrate the most impactful sports innovations of the year in a ceremony hosted by StatusPro co-founder, ESPN analyst and former NFLer Andrew Hawkins, who took home an SBA: Tech trophy for Best in Immersive Technology last year. The energy in the room was palpable throughout the evening, spiking with a standing ovation for the NBA’s Chris Benyarko, who took home Technology Executive of the Year. OneCourt, the startup pioneering accessibility technology for blind/low vision fans at sporting events, also won two awards, including the coveted “Sports Technology of the Year” -- and was honored as one of SBJ’s 10 Most Innovative Sports Tech Companies.
Here is the full list of winners:
The AI data platform Elevate launched early last year and is now used by more than 230 of the agency’s clients. Its applications, built on data from more than 450 million individuals and 1.7 billion devices, touch consumer insights, ticketing management, and property analytics.
Maker of insole sensors that, paired with advanced AI, help athletes and coaches collect and analyze movement data. Plantiga’s technology is approved for in-competition use by the NBA, NFL and FIFA.
Accessibility startup that’s core product is a haptic tablet that turns live game tracking data into vibrations that help blind and low-vision fans follow along. OneCourt’s devices are used by multiple NBA teams and MLB’s Diamondbacks.
An immersive iteration of MLB’s flagship app, available in headsets like the Apple Vision Pro and Samsung Galaxy XR and including features like 3D renderings that show distinct game angles and data visualizations.
Retail-focused point-of-sale software vendor that, in the judging period, released a new inventory tracking management system (Inventory360, live at AT&T Stadium and United Center) and integrated its technology with Amazon Just Walk Out.
In other words, TGL’s full, 11-company tech stack, which combines swing simulators, ball and shot tracking technology, virtual hole designs and an adaptable putting area to power a new way of playing and watching golf.
At the heart of BSE’s data architecture and operations, Pierce has spearheaded initiatives such as the organization’s migration to Snowflake; embedding of analytics experts within key business units; custom upgrade of its crowd management software (WaitTime); and integration of NBA data into BSE’s sales platform (which drove a significant revenue lift).
A veteran executive with more than two decades of experience at the NBA, Benyarko in 2025 led an overhaul of the league’s tech infrastructure to support a streaming-first media model; launch of the Tap to Watch digital discoverability feature; and new features for broadcasters (the Inside the Game statistics platform) and League Pass (highlight recaps, real-time game updates, multigame viewing on mobile).
