The National Basketball Association and Amazon Web Services have announced a multi-year partnership making AWS the Official Cloud and Cloud AI Partner of the NBA, WNBA, NBA G League, Basketball Africa League, and NBA Take-Two Media. The collaboration introduces NBA Inside the Game powered by AWS, a basketball intelligence platform transforming billions of data points into compelling insights and interactive fan experiences.
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NBA AWS Partnership: Revolutionary Features
Built on AWS’s industry-leading AI infrastructure, the platform introduces features that enhance live broadcasts and elevate fan experiences across the NBA App, NBA.com, and league social channels. The partnership leverages machine learning to analyze 29 data points per player, generating real-time insights that deepen basketball understanding globally.
| Feature | Description | Technology |
|---|---|---|
| Defensive Box Score | Quantifies individual defensive contributions | Real-time AI player tracking |
| Shot Difficulty | Evaluates every shooting aspect with Expected FG% | Machine learning algorithms |
| Gravity | Measures defensive attention players draw | Neural networks (60 analyses/second) |
| Play Finder | AI-powered search for similar plays across games | Amazon Bedrock, SageMaker |
Three Groundbreaking AI-Powered Stats
Defensive Box Score reimagines basketball’s fundamental metric by quantifying individual defensive contributions that traditional statistics cannot measure. AI algorithms detect which defender is responsible for each offensive player in real-time, identifying the primary defender when each stat is recorded. New metrics like ball pressure, double teams, and defensive switches can now be viewed and tallied.
Shot Difficulty transcends traditional make-or-miss statistics by evaluating every aspect of each shot attempt. Expected Field Goal percentage accounts for shooter orientation, setup, defensive pressure, interference, and court positioning—giving fans deeper appreciation for the skill and strategy behind every scoring attempt.
Gravity showcases what coaches have observed for years: how certain players create advantages for teammates simply by being on court without touching the ball. The stat measures defensive attention levels, including how closely players are guarded with or without the ball, quantifying space created for teammates through custom neural networks.
Play Finder: First-of-Its-Kind Technology
Play Finder uses AI to analyze and understand player movements across thousands of games utilizing Amazon Bedrock and Amazon SageMaker. The feature enables instant search and retrieval of similar plays, laying the foundation for future generative AI integrations built on player tracking data.
A real-time alert system within Play Finder enables commentators to instantly provide historical context and strategic insights during live broadcasts. NBA teams will have direct access to ML models powering Play Finder to improve front office and coaching workflows. Future iterations will allow fans to explore basketball strategy with unprecedented depth on the NBA App.
Global Fan Engagement Enhanced
The NBA App, NBA.com and NBA League Pass will run on AWS, accelerating basketball’s global growth by offering fans unique opportunities to understand team strategy and court execution. The partnership delivers in-language content and personalized experiences across platforms worldwide.
This partnership broadens the NBA’s strategic relationship with Amazon, coinciding with Prime Video’s landmark 11-year media rights agreement featuring 66 regular-season matchups streaming globally, beginning October 24, 2025.
FAQs
What are the three new AI-powered NBA stats launching this season?
Defensive Box Score, Shot Difficulty (with Expected FG%), and Gravity measuring player impact.
What is NBA Play Finder powered by AWS?
AI technology analyzing player movements across thousands of games for instant play search and retrieval.
