The National Basketball Association (NBA) and Amazon Web Services (AWS) announced a groundbreaking multi-year partnership today, launching an AI and cloud-based platform, NBA Inside the Game, set to transform fan engagement, game analysis, and broadcasting across the NBA, WNBA, NBA G League, Basketball Africa League, and NBA Take-Two Media.
As the NBA’s official cloud and AI partner, AWS will power a new era of digital innovation, leveraging its advanced AI infrastructure to process billions of data points into immersive insights and interactive experiences. The platform will integrate real-time analytics into live broadcasts, the NBA App, and NBA.com, starting with the NBA on Prime Video in the 2025-26 season, redefining how fans connect with basketball worldwide.
“This partnership with AWS allows us to elevate the live game experience and offer fans a deeper understanding of basketball,” said Ken DeGennaro, NBA Executive Vice President and Head of Media Operations and Technology. “AWS’s proven track record in delivering transformative statistical insights will resonate with fans globally.”
AI-Driven Stats Redefine Game Analysis
At the heart of NBA Inside the Game are AI-powered statistics that go beyond traditional metrics. Using AWS machine learning models, the platform analyzes player tracking data—capturing 29 unique data points per player in real time—to deliver innovative metrics like Expected Field Goal Percentage (xFG%), which evaluates shot difficulty based on shooter orientation, defensive pressure, and court positioning. Another metric, “gravity,” quantifies how elite players draw defensive attention, creating opportunities for teammates, calculated via custom neural networks processing optical tracking data 60 times per second.
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The platform also introduces advanced defensive metrics, such as ball pressure, double-team frequency, and switch effectiveness, offering a more precise view of individual defensive contributions. These insights will enhance box scores and provide fans, coaches, and broadcasters with a richer understanding of on-court dynamics.
PlayFinder: Unlocking Tactical Insights
A standout feature, PlayFinder, powered by AWS’s Amazon Bedrock and SageMaker, allows users to search and retrieve specific plays from a vast game library. Broadcasters can use it to provide real-time historical context, while fans and teams gain deeper strategic insights. NBA teams will also access these machine learning models to streamline front-office decisions and coaching workflows, with future updates enabling fans to explore tactics directly via the NBA App.
“This partnership showcases how cloud and AI can reimagine basketball,” said Francessca Vasquez, Vice President of Professional Services & Agentic AI at AWS. “From generating new insights to creating experiences that bring fans closer to the game, we’re delivering technology that transforms how players, coaches, and fans understand basketball.”
Building on a Broader Partnership
The collaboration builds on Amazon’s growing relationship with the NBA, including Prime Video’s 11-year media rights deal starting next season. By combining AWS’s AI capabilities with Prime Video’s streaming infrastructure, the NBA is poised to set a new standard for sports media, delivering personalized, tech-driven experiences that bring fans closer to the game.
As basketball embraces this technological leap, the NBA-AWS partnership promises to redefine how the sport is analyzed, broadcast, and experienced, cementing its place at the forefront of sports innovation.
