ASB became a leader in the manufacture of Squash Court and maintained this position for decades, including a mid -2000’s introduction of a new glass and glass enclosure configuration that becomes the standard for pumpkin competitions worldwide.
Christof joined the company to succeed his father as CEO in 2012, and ASB began to focus on LED surfaces. The first product of this type was a simple flats exhibition called “multisports” that could change between marks for various hardcourt sports such as basketball, volleyball and handball. In 2015, the company had also developed “ASB Lumiflex”, the Fuller Led Display Court, which I raised in Orlando.
The company focused on obtaining the official approval of the FIBA, the governing basketball body of the world, during the Covid-19 pandemic, and succeeded in 2022 when FIBA changed the rules for the official game surfaces allowed to include glass in addition to traditional wood. The first official ASB FIBA event was the World Women’s Cup under the age of 19 in 2023.
Recent customer facilities include Bayern Munich and Panathinaikos European basketball teams, both of which have played all home games during the 2024-25 season on the ASB slopes; NBA All-Star Weekend 2024 in Indiana, who used ASB for various events, including Dunk and three-point dunk competitions; The “Big Blue Madness” event at Kentucky University by 2024; In addition to other Pro equipment or facilities and members in various sports.
Commercial and participation opportunities are abounded by this technology, which opens the court as a mass white canvas. Some of the time, the surface appears as a traditional parquet play area, with realistic images of wooden panels. Suddenly, however, it can be transformed into something else.
When free releases are fired during a basketball game, for example, most players usually go from 45 to 60 seconds on one side of the court. ASB customers can use the space available on the other side of the flat to show, for example, a graph on the free throw percentage of the shooter, with the logo of a brand member who is accompanied by his side.
“This surface has allowed us to completely reimagate how we connect with fans and how we bring value to our commercial partners,” says Thanos Bichtas, Panathinaikos Marketing Chief. “Whether they are dynamic intros with personalized court animations or live visual effects that react to great plays, we now offer a level of visual narration that transforms the sand into an interactive experience.
Bichtas says the court has become an impact platform for brand visibility. “And crucially, do not disturb the experience of the fan; it improves it.”
Infinity League, an interior football league with teams from Germany and Italy, uses the glass surface to support the action. Photo courtesy of Asb Glassfloor
Soil exercises
On my visit, I was shown a set of activities that could turn these courts into educational hubs during school hours, from various representations of dinosaur and sea creatures to a feature that allows children to design a labyrinth. Bichtas says that Panathinaikos has already used his ASB track to host various events, from brand activations to basketball skills clinics for amateur, especially those who are. Christof, a Go-Kart enthusiast, plans to set up whole racing in one of the Asb courts in the near future.
“If we look at the infrastructure of a land, it costs between 250 and 350 million euros,” says Babinsky. “If you put the flat there, it is only about 1 percent of the global budget. But having this flat will allow the arena to be used much more often, because suddenly you have no sand used for a home game every two weeks. No, you can have children there Monday morning.”
