Smart basketball jersey shares NBA updates with wearer

New use of NFC technology provides fans with basketball updates by them simply tapping their phone against the NBA connected jersey.

Long gone are the days when sports fans had to huddle around a radio to find out the latest scores from their favourite sports teams. Nike’s new NBA Connected Jersey get the scores straight to the wearer by them simply tapping their smartphone against the bottom of the vest. Technology is built into each jersey so the data shared is automatically affiliated with that team. Wearers can download the NikeConnect app for iOS and Android, tap their smartphone on the tag on the bottom of the jersey, and gain access to NBA highlights, exclusive gear, game tickets and more via the phone.

The smartphone running the NikeConnect app powers the Near Field Communications (NFC) tag in the jersey’s woven label, so the tag can securely send its identifying information to the app. NFC technology enables the wireless transfer of small amounts of data from a battery-less tag to a powered reader. The NFC tag contains its unique NFC ID and a URL, which tells the app how to launch the jersey experience. At the Nike factory, the unique NFC ID is paired to the product code, which contains the jersey version, team, player and size, but no information about the consumer. While the primary experience revolves around game days during the regular season, Nike will offer highlights from the previous season, exclusive Nike athlete content and great offers, all during the pre- and post-season. Both the LeBron James and Kevin Durant edition swingman jerseys are on sale now, costing USD 110, with more players set to join the line up soon.

Technology and sport are two industries that naturally collide, with the creation of an internet-enabled goalpost that sends out a match invitation to those with the connected smartphone app, and a series of innovations that enhances cricket games being some of the recent examples. How could integrating smartphone-linked technology into items boost your company’s profile?