The National Basketball Association (NBA) and Amazon Web Services (AWS) have announced a multi-year partnership in which AWS will serve as the Official Cloud and Cloud AI Partner for the NBA, WNBA, NBA G League, Basketball Africa League, and NBA Take-Two Media.
A central component of this partnership is the launch of "NBA Inside the Game powered by AWS," a new basketball intelligence platform. This platform will use AWS’s AI infrastructure to turn large amounts of data into insights and interactive experiences for fans worldwide. The technology aims to enhance live broadcasts and improve fan engagement through the NBA App, NBA.com, and league social channels.
Ken DeGennaro, NBA Executive Vice President and Head of Media Operations and Technology, stated: “Partnering with AWS provides us with an opportunity to elevate the live game experience through innovation and offer fans a deeper understanding of the game of basketball for years to come. AWS has a proven track record of delivering unique statistical insights and offering transformative experiences that will resonate with NBA fans around the world.”
Francessca Vasquez, Vice President of Professional Services & Agentic AI at AWS, said: “At AWS, we’re excited by the NBA’s vision to push the boundaries of what’s possible in sports. This partnership will showcase how cloud and AI can reimagine the game of basketball - from generating new insights to creating experiences that bring fans closer to the game they love. Together, we’re delivering technology that not only enhances live broadcasts and digital platforms, but also transforms how players, coaches, and fans understand basketball.”
Through this collaboration, fans will gain access to advanced statistics during games using machine learning and AI applied to player tracking data. New features include:
- Defensive Box Score: Uses AI algorithms to determine individual defensive contributions in real time.
- Shot Difficulty: Provides new metrics such as Expected Field Goal Percentage by analyzing shot conditions.
- Gravity: Measures how players affect defensive attention even without handling the ball.
Additionally, "Play Finder" is being introduced as a tool leveraging AWS services like Amazon Bedrock and Amazon SageMaker. This feature enables users to search for similar plays across thousands of games using player movement data analyzed by AI. Commentators can receive real-time alerts for historical context during broadcasts. Teams will also have access to these models for coaching purposes.
The global reach of this partnership extends through digital platforms such as the NBA App, NBA.com, and NBA League Pass—all running on AWS infrastructure. The agreement is part of a broader relationship between Amazon and the NBA; Prime Video now holds an 11-year media rights deal streaming 66 regular-season games per season globally along with new interactive features. Prime Video also acts as a distribution partner for NBA League Pass subscriptions in multiple markets.
The first night featuring "NBA on Prime" is scheduled for October 24 with two matchups: Celtics vs. Knicks at 7:30 p.m. ET followed by Lakers vs. Timberwolves at 10 p.m. ET.
The NBA continues its efforts to expand its international presence with coverage in more than 200 countries and territories in over 60 languages.