CUE Audio

What CUE Audio does

CUE Audio is a Denver-based private company founded in 2017 that operates a fan engagement platform for live events, primarily serving professional and collegiate sports teams, leagues, venues, brands, and entertainment operators globally. The company's core technology uses inaudible ultrasonic data-over-audio signals to control mobile phone screens, cameras, and flashes without requiring app downloads, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, or cellular connectivity, with web-based QR code entry as the deployment mechanism. The product suite spans Light Show (audio-synchronized cell phone light shows, now also web-based), FanSee (live on-screen fan participation via QR scan, expanding camera coverage 1000x over traditional fan cams), PostUP (real-time UGC aggregation with AI Filters), Fanatic Filters (live camera effects), AR Prize Drop, Trivia Mania, Polling Mania, and additional gamification products including Shuffle, Bingo, PrizeIT, and Pledge Per.

CUE monetizes via quote-based annual subscriptions with custom pricing tied to event scope and usage, sold through a sales-led enterprise motion with a 'Request a Demo' entry point. The company targets seven primary verticals: sports teams and leagues (primary), high schools, brands and agencies, houses of worship, concerts and music events, corporate events, and international markets. The go-to-market is primarily direct enterprise field sales supplemented by integration partnerships (AE Live for broadcast, MLB Ballpark App approved vendor status) and self-service web demo evaluation. AI is deployed as a feature layer for image and video transformations, not as a core technology differentiator.

Name

CUE Audio

Legal name

Cue Audio

Website

https://cueaudio.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

CUE Audio is a Denver-based fan engagement platform for live events, using proprietary inaudible audio signals to control mobile phones without apps or Wi-Fi. It serves 40+ enterprise clients across NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL, global soccer, college, and entertainment via subscription-based quote pricing.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fan Engagement Software

NAICS

Sound Recording Industries (5122)

akta.pro primary industry

Audio/Sound Reinforcement (PA) (MPAGAKAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Audio Middleware (Interactive/Game Audio) (MPAFAFAD)

Keywords

• Fan engagement software
• Live event technology
• Mobile light shows
• Data over audio
• Audience interaction platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Denver

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&amp, D, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Fan Engagement Platform Subscription: CUE provides fan engagement products and experiences to live events. The platform is offered as a service with product tiers and pricing based on usage at events. Companies request demos and receive custom quotes based on their engagement needs and event frequency.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

CUE Audio provides a fan engagement software platform that uses inaudible data-over-audio technology to control attendees' mobile devices during live events, powering synchronized light shows, in-venue games, AR prize drops, social content capture, and real-time polling. Its offerings are delivered via a web-based Product Hub without requiring a native app download, enabling sports teams, brands, agencies, schools, and venues to drive audience participation, capture measurable data, and integrate activations into existing production workflows.

Product overview

CUE Audio operates as a fan engagement platform offering a suite of products that transform passive spectators into active participants. The core offering includes Light Show (audio-powered cell phone light show now available as web-based solution), FanSee (live on-screen fan participation), PostUP (UGC aggregation with AI Filters), Fanatic Filters (real-time camera effects), AR Prize Drop, Trivia Mania, Polling Mania, and additional gamification products (Shuffle, Bingo, PrizeIT, Pledge Per). The platform integrates seamlessly with existing production workflows and control room systems, enabling CUE data feeds to power real-time second-screen interactivity for live sports broadcasts. All solutions work without requiring fans to download an app.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Light Show
• FanSee
• PostUP
• Fanatic Filters
• AR Prize Drop
• Trivia Mania
• Polling Mania
• Bingo
• PrizeIT
• Pledge Per
• Calendar
• Product Hub

Quantifiable outcome

• 60% in-stadium adaptation rate achieved at RSC Anderlecht with light show
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers41 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship, notable and minor.

• AE LivecoreTechnology or IntegrationAE Live and CUE are transforming live sports broadcasts with real-time second-screen interactivity that drives fan participation and engagement. This integration enables broadcast enhancement through CUE's fan engagement technology.
• MLB (Approved Ballpark App Vendor)flagshipTechnology or IntegrationCUE is an approved MLB Ballpark App vendor, powering fan engagement and sponsor-driven experiences for MLB teams at game day events.
• Harlem GlobetrottersnotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerCUE supported Harlem Globetrotters engagement efforts during their 100th Anniversary Tour, providing fan engagement technology.
• Pokémon World ChampionshipsnotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerCUE brought fan engagement to the Pokémon World Stage, operating in the esports space with engagement technology.
• T-Mobile AcceleratorminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCUE was selected as a participant in T-Mobile's accelerator program focused on 5G innovation in sports and entertainment.
• Comcast LIFToffminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCUE won the LIFToff Accessibility Challenge, demonstrating innovative accessible technology experiences.
• MassChallenge TexasminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCUE received an equity-free cash prize as a top startup from MassChallenge Texas cohorts.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• PixMob: PixMob provides LED wristband-based light shows and immersive fan experiences at live sports and concert events. It is the closest direct competitor to CUE's audio-driven Light Show, serving many of the same teams and venues with an alternative hardware-based delivery mechanism.
• Wicket: Wicket provides facial-recognition-based fan engagement and ticketing solutions for sports venues. It competes in the same in-venue fan engagement category as CUE, particularly for sponsor-driven, friction-free participation at stadium scale.
• YinzCam: YinzCam provides official team apps and in-stadium fan engagement experiences for the majority of NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB franchises. It competes for the same sponsorship-driven engagement budget as CUE, though YinzCam is app-based where CUE is app-free.
• LISNR: LISNR is a data-over-audio technology company that transmits data via inaudible sound waves for mobile engagement, payments, and authentication. CUE and LISNR share the same underlying ultrasonic/audio-data technology stack, making LISNR the closest technology peer.
• LiveLike: LiveLike (now part of Cosm) builds interactive fan engagement experiences including VR/AR and gamified second-screen products for sports broadcasters and leagues. It overlaps with CUE's broadcast interactivity and gamification suite (Trivia, Polling, AR Prize Drop).

Emerging players

• VNTANA: VNTANA provides 3D and AR experiences for brand activations and live events. Its AR Prize Drop-adjacent capabilities and brand-sponsorship focus overlap with CUE's activations in the Brands and Agencies vertical.
• Satisfi Labs: Satisfi Labs provides AI-powered conversational and engagement experiences for sports, entertainment, and tourism clients. It overlaps with CUE's audience-engagement use cases but focuses on chat-based interaction rather than in-venue synchronized experiences.
• Reely: Reely uses AI to automatically generate sports highlights and short-form content from broadcasts. It competes for sponsorship attention and engagement budgets in sports, with adjacent rather than overlapping functionality to CUE's content capture (FanSee, PostUP).

Others

• Populus (Fan Engagement Data): Populus provides data and analytics around how fans travel to and engage with sports venues. It is an enabling/adjacent peer in the sports fan engagement ecosystem, complementary rather than directly competitive to CUE's in-stadium activation platform.

Broad incumbents

• Hawk-Eye Innovations (Sony): Hawk-Eye Innovations, owned by Sony, is a broad sports technology incumbent providing officiating, broadcast graphics, and officiating-replay systems across major leagues. It shares venue and broadcast integration touchpoints with CUE and represents a potential deep-pocketed competitor for in-venue fan engagement workflows.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cueaudio
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@connectwithCUE
• Facebookfacebook.com/thecueaudio
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cueaudio
• Instagraminstagram.com/connectwithcue

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CUE Audio