Across North Texas, we have golf eatertainment. Shuffleboard eatertainment. Cricket eatertainment. Football-and-bowling eatertainment. And coming soon, baseball and soccer eatertainment. At long last, basketball eatertainment msy be joining the party soon—with its first concept circling the rim in 2025.
Dallas-based JumpShot Inc.—a pioneer in basketball-themed entertainment—has announced the launch of JumpShot Live. Like a Topgolf for basketball, the eatertainment concept shoots a full-service restaurant, sports bar, and event venue into one basketball-permeated experience. It promises to make every guest feel like an All-Star—no matter how good their shots and handles are.
The first JumpShot Live venue is slated to open in 2025. Previous reports said the first venue would be in Atlanta, but today’s announcement didn’t disclose the 2025 location, saying only: “JumpShot Live has ambitious growth plans, with its first location set to open in 2025, followed by three more in 2026. The company envisions a national expansion, targeting key markets for future openings.”
‘Technologically superior experience’
Rendering of one of Jumpshot Live’s custom-designed gaming bays. [Image: Barker Nestor]
The company says its JumpShot Live locations will span around 50,000 square feet and feature 50 custom-designed gaming bays. Each bay will accommodate up to six players, who can choose from a variety of games for customized experiences.
The brand’s “patent-pending technology” allows the hoop and net to move dynamically along each 40- by 10-foot lane, enabling guests “to shoot almost anywhere on the court without moving from their player bay.”
The bays and basketball lanes will be surrounded by projectors and LED screens, creating a digitally immersive environment. Unique bay “neighborhoods” will offer connected experiences for groups, sporting events, and other activations.
When JumpShot Live rolls out, a customer base should be laced up and ready to go: Around 28 million Americans age 6 and up play basketball, according to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association, making it one of America’s favorite sports to play. Possibilities worldwide are even greater, since FIBA, the International Basketball Federation, reports that more than 450 million people play the game globally.
Former Packers wide receiver as CEO; ex-Topgolf & Drive Shack exec as COO
Derrick Mayes
You might expect JumpShot to have a former NBA player as CEO, but instead, the brand’s head honcho is former Green Bay Packers wide receiver Derrick Mayes, who wears a ring for winning Super Bowl XXXI in 1997, following his time as an All-American and co-captain at Notre Dame.
Since his Packers days, Mayes has compiled “decades of experience in organizational leadership, strategic planning, and corporate development,” and he’s bringing all of it to JumpShot Inc.
“This is one of the most innovative and technologically advanced entertainment experiences in the world,” Mayes said in a statement. “We believe that JumpShot Live will redefine the industry and bring basketball fans something beyond their imagination.”
JumpShot’s president and COO is Brian Birckbichler, whose portfolio of leadership and real estate development experiences have included Atomic Golf, Topgolf, Drive Shack, and Bloomin’ Brands. Birckbichler has advised on numerous high-profile sports entertainment projects worldwide, Jumpshot said, adding that he’s “recognized for delivering exceptional hospitality services, outstanding food & beverage concepts, and optimizing business operations for maximum efficiency and success.”
With these industry experts in place, JumpShot said it will combine “basketball culture, cutting-edge design, curated cuisine and cocktails, and patent-pending technology to deliver unforgettable moments for guests.”
Get on the list.
Dallas Innovates, every day.
Sign up to keep your eye on what’s new and next in Dallas-Fort Worth, every day.
R E A D N E X T
-
Dallas-based Mynd Immersive, in collaboration with AT&T, HTC VIVE, and the CTA Foundation, has launched the 'Great American Elderverse' at CES 2024 in Las Vegas, a groundbreaking campaign poised to revolutionize the lives of millions of older adults across the nation.
-
The North Texas Innovation Alliance has begun offering quarterly "hands-on innovation experiences" at "the brightest and most innovative projects across North Texas" for NTXIA members. The Immersive Innovation field trips kicked off with a tour of the NSF's newly opened eCAT Center at UNT. Here's where the NTXIA is going next.
-
This week at CES 2024 in Las Vegas, Dallas-based Mynd Immersive launched the "Great American Elderverse," a virtual destination filled “with love, care, and compassion for older adults,” with exercises and experiences to promote mental, physical, emotional, and cognitive health.
-
The Netflix House coming to Dallas in 2025—one of only two planned in the U.S.—will be a full-blown immersive entertainment venue where fans can experience hits like "Bridgerton" and "Squid Game" beyond the screen. Merch, meals, and show-themed drinks will be on tap too.
-
Would you like to go snow skiing without hitting the slopes? Score soccer goals against a "Robo Goalie"? Go paragliding while barely leaving the ground? Or punch out an AI-powered BotBoxer? Those are just some of the immersive sports experiences on tap at Active Arena, which is racing toward an opening in Frisco later this month.
