NBA, TISSOT Debut New Show Clock and Integrated Timing System

The NBA and TISSOT have launched a new integrated timing system and a new shot clock with innovative LED glass technology developed exclusively for the league.  The new shot clock is debuting at Samsung NBA Summer League and will be integrated into all NBA arenas for the 2016-17 season.

The integration of the new TISSOT shot clock and timing system marks the first time the league will use the same clocks and timing equipment across all 29 of its arenas.  The clean, sleek shot clock is visibly free of cables and conductors and equipped with TISSOT’s LED glass, making the clock nearly transparent when in use and fully transparent while turned off.  It integrates the 24-second, timeout, and game clocks in one piece of hardware – a first for the league.  Transitions between numbers are instant and undetectable even by high-speed TV cameras, resulting in definitive footage that will further assist NBA referees and the NBA Replay Center in evaluating certain critical calls.

The new system simultaneously transmits exact timing data to all in-arena scoreboards and video equipment, letting fans follow the action within fractions of a second.  Clock and scoreboard operators in all arenas will control the system with TISSOT’s proprietary software, which offers an intuitive and uniform interface.  Each shot clock will feature TISSOT branding, another sign of the company’s increasing presence at NBA games.

“TISSOT is proud of confirming its expertise in the world of basketball timekeeping by presenting this new shot clock,” said François Thiébaud, TISSOT President.  “Our collaboration with the NBA is bound for greatness.  Our shared love for precision and passion for sport is leading us to push boundaries to enhance the experience of basketball for everyone involved with new technology and innovation and this is only the first step.”

“The NBA has depended on accurate timekeeping for more than 70 years, and in all that time we’ve never had a partner like TISSOT,” said Michael Gliedman, NBA Senior Vice President & Chief Information Officer, Information Technology.  “TISSOT’s expertise and groundbreaking timing system developed exclusively for the NBA will provide us with the most sophisticated shot clock the league has ever had, enhancing our game on the court and providing a sharper viewing experience for fans.”

The NBA introduced the 24-second shot clock during the 1954-55 season as a way to speed up game play.  The league has since made a number of enhancements to shot clock technology.

Last October, TISSOT became the Official Timekeeper of the NBA, Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) and NBA Development League (NBA D-League), the watchmaker’s first partnership with a major North American sports league in the company’s 160-year history.  TISSOT is the number one Swiss traditional watchmaker in terms of volume and a member of the Swatch Group – the world’s largest watch producer and distributor.