Indiana Pacers now using Glass to promote fan interaction during NBA games (video)

The NBA’s Indiana Pacers have a secret weapon on and off the court and while it won’t likely improve the team’s chance of making it through the playoffs, it’s changing the way people watch professional basketball. Last month, the Pacers became the second NBA team to use Google Glass (these guys did it first) to enhance its in-game experience for fans. According to Rob Laycock, VP of marketing for the Indiana Pacers, the idea to use Glass originally came from the team’s center, Roy Hibbert.

The Pacers’ big man purchased the wearable during the 2013 offseason and the club helped him produce a video highlighting the tech’s capabilities and things picked up from there. The team then partnered with a San Francisco-based firm named CrowdOptic that provided software to stream to live video from Glass through the Bankers Life Fieldhouse’s scoreboard. This gave visiting fans a exciting and immersive experience when visiting games. 

While players aren’t allowed to wear Glass during the game, the Pacers are placing the wearable on its employees, cheerleaders and Michael Grady, the team’s announcer. While the tech is far from perfect, Laycock says fans seem to be enjoying it so far. Check out the video below for some first-person, NBA action.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FY8bkP1iQXA]