Reimagining Basketball through AI and Cloud Innovation
The National Basketball Association (NBA) has announced a groundbreaking partnership with
Amazon Web Services (AWS), making AWS the official Cloud and Cloud AI Partner for the NBA, WNBA, NBA G League, Basketball Africa League, and NBA Take-Two Media[1]. This multi-year agreement aims to power a new era of basketball innovation by leveraging the latest in AI and cloud technology.
NBA Inside the Game Powered by AWS
A central pillar of this partnership is the launch of
NBA Inside the Game powered by AWS, a next-generation basketball intelligence platform. Built on AWS’s leading AI infrastructure, this platform will transform billions of data points into actionable insights and interactive features, enhancing how fans engage with the sport across the NBA App, NBA.com, and official social channels[1].
- Interactive analytics and real-time insights integrated into NBA digital experiences
- Enhanced live broadcasts with advanced data-driven features
- Personalized and in-language content for global fans
AI-Powered Advanced Statistics
AWS’s AI capabilities will power a new suite of
advanced in-game stats and analytics. These include processing extensive player tracking data—analyzing movements of 29 points per player—using AI and
machine learning to generate real-time, contextualized insights[1]. Fans will access these analytics on the NBA App, NBA.com, and during NBA on Prime broadcasts.
Key innovations for the 2025-26 season include:
- Defensive Box Score: Uses AI to track and quantify individual defensive efforts previously unmeasured by traditional stats. The system identifies primary defenders and contextualizes box score events like ball pressure, double teams, and defensive switches.
- Shot Difficulty: Goes beyond make-or-miss by introducing metrics such as Expected Field Goal Percentage, taking into account shooter orientation, defensive contest, pressure, and court positioning. This offers fans a richer understanding of every scoring attempt.
Future developments, including the Play Finder feature, will enable fans to explore basketball strategy at an unprecedented level of detail through the NBA App.
Global Engagement and Streaming Innovations
The NBA will deliver year-round, in-depth coverage to fans worldwide on platforms powered by AWS. Personalized and region-specific content will be emphasized to grow international engagement and deepen fans' understanding of the game[1].
In addition, the partnership expands the NBA's strategic relationship with Amazon. Starting this season, Prime Video’s 11-year global media rights deal will bring 66 regular-season NBA games to an international audience with interactive features debuting for users. Prime Video also becomes the main global subscription hub for NBA League Pass, offering live and on-demand streaming within the U.S. and internationally.
Key Takeaways
- The NBA and AWS partnership introduces AI-driven stats and data features for a deeper fan experience.
- Advanced analytics will be visible during live broadcasts and across official digital platforms.
- The collaboration supports global outreach with year-round coverage, multilingual content, and direct streaming via Prime Video and League Pass.
The collaboration supports global outreach with year-round coverage, multilingual content, and direct streaming via Prime Video and League Pass.
The collaboration supports global outreach with year-round coverage, multilingual content, and direct streaming via Prime Video and League Pass.
