The National Basketball Association (NBA) and Amazon Web Services (AWS) have announced a multi-year partnership aimed at introducing new AI-powered statistics and analytics to basketball fans. The collaboration will launch NBA Inside the Game, powered by AWS, an intelligence platform that provides real-time stats and deeper analysis of games, teams, and players. This platform will be accessible through the NBA App, NBA.com, and the league’s social media channels.
As part of this agreement, AWS becomes the official cloud and cloud AI partner for the NBA, WNBA, NBA G League, Basketball Africa League, and NBA Take-Two Media. The partnership also includes Prime Video becoming the exclusive streaming service for 66 regular-season NBA games starting in 2025. This deal covers major events such as the Emirates NBA Cup and the NBA Playoffs. Beginning in 2026, Prime Video will also stream regular season and postseason WNBA games.
Ken DeGennaro, executive vice president and Head of Media Operations and Technology at the NBA said: “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 added: “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.”
The advanced statistics platform uses AWS’s artificial intelligence capabilities to process player tracking data by analyzing movements across 29 body parts during games. These tools generate real-time insights that are available via digital platforms including live broadcasts on Prime Video.
New features set for introduction include Defensive Box Score—an enhancement on traditional metrics that quantifies individual defensive contributions using AI algorithms—and Shot Difficulty metrics like Expected Field Goal Percentage which considers factors such as shooter orientation, court position, and defensive pressure. Another feature called Gravity measures how much attention a player draws from defenders even when not handling the ball.
The technology behind these innovations processes optical tracking data 60 times per second using neural networks to analyze defender reactions while factoring in historical context.
Additionally, Play Finder is a tool built with Amazon Bedrock and Amazon SageMaker services that allows users to search thousands of games at an individual play level. It helps broadcasters identify offensive strategies in real time during broadcasts while providing historical context for commentary. Teams are expected to use Play Finder throughout their seasons for film analysis.
Future updates plan to expand fan access to strategic exploration within the app using generative AI based on player tracking data.
The inaugural season of NBA on Prime begins with a doubleheader featuring Boston Celtics vs. New York Knicks followed by Los Angeles Lakers vs. Minnesota Timberwolves.
