NBA & AWS: How AI and Cloud Tech Can Transform Basketball

The National Basketball Association (NBA) and Amazon Web Services (AWS) are embarking on a multi-year strategic partnership aimed at transforming fan engagement and game analytics through the sophisticated application of artificial intelligence and cloud technology.

As the official cloud and cloud AI partner for the NBA and its affiliate leagues – the WNBA, NBA G League, Basketball Africa League and NBA Take-Two Media – AWS is the engine behind the league’s next wave of digital innovation.

The collaboration introduces a ground-breaking basketball intelligence platform, NBA Inside the Game, powered by AWS. By design, it transforms how the sport is consumed and understood globally.

The new platform leverages AWS’s industry-leading AI infrastructure to process billions of data points, converting them into compelling insights and interactive experiences.

By integrating these features into live broadcasts and primary digital channels, such as the NBA App and NBA.com, the partnership reshapes the connection between the league and its worldwide fan base.

The details of the partnership

The agreement represents a significant step forward in sports technology, aiming to provide a more in-depth and nuanced view of on-court action. The goal is to move beyond traditional statistics and provide fans, coaches and broadcasters with powerful new analytical tools.

“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,” says Ken DeGennaro, NBA Executive Vice President and Head of Media Operations and Technology.

“AWS has a proven track record of delivering unique statistical insights and offering transformative experiences that will resonate with NBA fans around the world,” he adds.

The partnership highlights a shared vision for pushing the boundaries of sports media.

By harnessing the power of the cloud, the NBA can deliver richer content and create more personalised experiences for its audience, setting a new standard for sports broadcasting.

Francessca Vasquez, Vice President of Professional Services & Agentic AI at AWS, adds: “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.”

Revolutionising game analysis with AI-powered statistics

A core element of the collaboration is the introduction of advanced, AI-driven statistics generated by the NBA Inside the Game platform.

The innovative metrics utilise sophisticated AWS machine learning models to analyse vast amounts of player tracking data, which captures 29 distinct data points for every player in real time.

The resulting insights will be integrated directly into the NBA App, NBA.com and live game broadcasts, including the upcoming NBA on Prime Video.

One key metric reimagines a fundamental basketball concept by quantifying individual defensive contributions that traditional statistics often overlook.

Advanced AI algorithms identify the primary defender assigned to each offensive player in real-time, enabling an enhanced box score that accurately attributes defensive responsibilities.

Additional metrics, such as ball pressure, the frequency of double teams and the effectiveness of defensive switches, can now be accurately measured and displayed.

Another statistic addresses shot difficulty, moving beyond simple outcomes to determine the complexity of each field goal attempt.

Factors including the shooter’s orientation, the pre-shot set-up, defensive contest pressure and the positioning of all players on the court contribute to a new metric called Expected Field Goal Percentage (xFG%).

The statistic provides fans with a more nuanced understanding of shooting skills, player performance and offensive strategy.

Furthermore, a ‘gravity’ statistic measures the unseen influence of elite players who attract significant defensive attention, thereby creating space and opportunities for their teammates, even without touching the ball.

Gravity is calculated by processing optical tracking data at a rate of 60 times per second through custom neural networks.

The networks analyse defensive reactions in real time against historical data, successfully quantifying a strategic concept that coaches and analysts have long understood intuitively.

Unlocking tactical insights with PlayFinder

Beyond advanced statistics, the NBA Inside the Game platform features Play Finder, an AI-driven search technology that enables users to find specific plays.

Using powerful AWS services like Amazon Bedrock and Amazon SageMaker, Play Finder analyses and comprehends player movements from a library of thousands of games.

The tool enables broadcasters and fans to instantly search for and retrieve similar plays, allowing for immediate historical context and deeper strategic analysis during live games.

Commentators can use the system to provide real-time insights, making broadcasts more engaging and educational.

NBA teams further gain direct access to the machine learning models powering Play Finder, a move intended to enhance front-office decision-making and streamline coaching workflows.

Future upgrades will allow fans to explore basketball strategy directly through the NBA App, offering an unprecedented level of insight into the game’s tactics.

The partnership builds upon Amazon’s broader relationship with the NBA, which includes Prime Video’s landmark 11-year media rights agreement starting in the 2025-26 season.

The fusion of AWS cloud AI and Amazon Prime’s streaming infrastructure positions basketball at the forefront of sports innovation, promising fans unparalleled tech-driven insights into the game.