How AWS Brings AI Analytics to NBA’s Global Fan Experience

The National Basketball Association (NBA) is launching a multi-year global partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to bring AI and cloud computing into the centre of professional basketball.

The collaboration, which includes the WNBA, NBA G League, Basketball Africa League and NBA Take-Two Media, establishes AWS as the official cloud and cloud AI partner of all affiliated leagues.

Together, they aim to transform how fans experience basketball across digital and broadcast platforms through advanced analytics and interactive tools.

At the core of this alliance is a new platform called NBA Inside the Game powered by AWS, designed to convert billions of basketball data points into engaging insights.

Hosted entirely on AWS infrastructure, the platform brings AI-generated metrics to broadcasts, apps and social media, offering fans a fresh way to follow the sport.

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

“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, 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.”

How real-time stats reshape fan connection

NBA Inside the Game debuts with three advanced basketball statistics for the 2025–26 season, using machine learning (ML)models developed on AWS platforms.

These new metrics are built using data from the league’s player tracking system, which collects 29 real-time data points per player.

Defensive Box Score gives a fresh view of defence by attributing defensive impact to specific players on the court.

AI algorithms track defenders assigned to each offensive player, enhancing traditional box scores with attributions.

Elements such as ball pressure, switches and double teams are also quantified and presented in real time.

Shot Difficulty introduces Expected Field Goal Percentage (xFG%), a new stat that factors in elements like player stance, movement, defensive pressure and positioning to estimate the difficulty of each shot attempt.

The result is a richer understanding of shooting skill than traditional shooting percentages provide.

Gravity captures the off-ball influence a player has on defensive strategy.

Then using custom neural networks and optical tracking data processed 60 times per second, the metric reveals how defenders respond to players’ positioning, even when they do not have the ball.

This quantifies the strategic value coaches and analysts have long discussed but have not previously been able to measure consistently.

These AI-generated stats appear across the NBA App, NBA.com and on-air during live broadcasts including NBA on Prime Video.

The impact of Play Finder bringing data-driven context to the action

Beyond individual statistics, the platform introduces Play Finder, an AI-powered tool that helps users instantly locate similar plays from a database of thousands of games.

Built with AWS services including Amazon Bedrock and Amazon SageMaker, Play Finder understands and compares player movements, offering viewers and broadcasters a tool for contextualising live moments with historical strategy.

Commentators use Play Finder to provide instant analysis and strategic breakdowns, enhancing educational value during games.

Additionally, fans benefit from more detailed coverage while teams can access the ML models directly for internal decision-making and coaching enhancements.

This functionality supports front-office analysis and could influence tactics by providing comparisons and insight into play design and execution.

AWS confirms future updates will enable fans to engage even deeper with the sport, exploring not just results but the decisions behind them.

How the cloud partnership reshapes media rights and fan access

The new collaboration follows Amazon’s broader media relationship with the NBA.

The 2025–26 season also marks the beginning of Prime Video’s 11-year global media rights agreement, which includes streaming 67 regular-season games along with new interactive viewing features.

While AWS cloud services provide the AI backbone for NBA Inside the Game, Amazon’s media streaming platform complements the data-driven experience by delivering real-time analysis during broadcasts. 

Together, the platforms offer fans detailed statistical access previously reserved for analysts and coaching staff.

NBA Inside the Game also signals a wider shift in the industry, where AI tools no longer sit behind the scenes but become an active part of the spectator experience.

By merging AI with global distribution, the NBA and AWS aim to make basketball more accessible and immersive, transforming not just how fans watch the game but how they understand it.