NBA selects AWS as official cloud and cloud AI partner for basketball innovation

Key takeaways

NBA and AWS to provide fans with live stats and comprehensive analytics during games.
New AI-powered tools will help fans better understand player performances and game strategy.
AWS becomes the official cloud and cloud AI partner of the NBA, WNBA, and others.

The National Basketball Association (NBA) and Amazon Web Services (AWS) today announced a multi-year partnership that will power the next generation of basketball innovation.

Together, they will launch NBA Inside the Game, powered by AWS, a new basketball intelligence platform that will provide AI-powered stats to help fans dive deeper into the games, teams, and players they follow. The platform will be available across all NBA digital channels including the NBA App, NBA.com, and the league’s social platforms. Built on AWS' AI capabilities and infrastructure, the platform will introduce features that enhance live broadcasts and deepen how fans understand the game.

As part of the agreement, AWS becomes the official cloud and cloud AI partner of the NBA and its affiliate leagues, including the WNBA, NBA G League, Basketball Africa League, and NBA Take-Two Media.

“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,” said 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.”

"At AWS, we’re excited by the NBA’s vision to push the boundaries of what’s possible in sports," said Francessca Vasquez, vice president of Professional Services & Agentic AI at AWS. "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.”

AI-powered advanced stats from AWS

NBA Inside the Game app on smartphone next to laptop showing live basketball game using AWS insights

The NBA will leverage AWS's AI capabilities to provide fans with live stats and comprehensive analytics during games. This advanced statistics platform processes the league’s player tracking data, analyzing the movements of 29 body parts to contextualize in-game developments and generate real-time insights.

Fans can access these statistics via the NBA App, NBA.com, and during live NBA games, including during NBA on Prime broadcasts. Fans will get an even deeper appreciation for precisely how well the top players perform, and how their performance reshapes the entire flow of a game.

Throughout the 2025-26 season, the NBA and AWS will introduce new AI-powered stats that capture previously unmeasured aspects of basketball, starting with:

Defensive Box Score: Reimagining basketball's fundamental metric

Defensive Box Score quantifies individual defensive contributions that traditional statistics miss. AI algorithms track which defender is responsible for each offensive player in real-time. This enhances the traditional box score by identifying the primary defender when each stat is recorded. Fans can also see metrics like ball pressure, double teams, and defensive switches.

Shot Difficulty: The science of shooting

Shot Difficulty goes beyond traditional make-or-miss statistics to evaluate every aspect of each shot attempt. The difficulty of attempted shots will be quantified with new stats such as Expected Field Goal % which accounts for various factors such as the shooter's orientation and setup, court positioning, and defensive contest details related to pressure, interference, and positioning. This statistic gives fans a deeper appreciation for the skill and strategy behind every scoring attempt.

Gravity: Quantifying the invisible impact

Gravity showcases what coaches and analysts have observed for years—how certain players create advantages for teammates simply by being on the court, even without touching the ball. This stat measures the level of attention a player receives from the defense, including how closely they're guarded with or without the ball, to quantify the space they create for teammates. This system processes optical tracking data 60 times per second, using neural networks to analyze how defenders react to specific players, while factoring in game context and historical data.

Transforming basketball intelligence

The platform will also feature Play Finder, a new tool that uses AI to analyze and understand player movements across thousands of games. Built with AWS services such as Amazon Bedrock and Amazon SageMaker, the feature makes NBA footage searchable at the granular scale of individual plays.

Play Finder will help fans and broadcasters identify common offensive strategies by combining play outcomes with advanced analytics. A real-time alert system will allow commentators to provide historical context and strategic insights during broadcasts, making games more engaging and educational for viewers. NBA teams will also leverage Play Finder capabilities throughout the season to improve their front office and coaching workflows and enhance their abilities to analyze film.

Future iterations of Play Finder will allow fans to explore basketball strategy with unprecedented depth on the NBA App. This technology lays the foundation for future generative AI integrations built on player tracking data, moving beyond technical capabilities to deliver tangible insights fans can use to deepen their understanding of the game.

Global fan engagement

The NBA has created one of the largest social media communities in the world, with more than 2.5 billion likes and followers globally across league, team, and player platforms. Fans engage with year-round NBA coverage and programming through the NBA app, NBA.com, and NBA League Pass—all running on AWS. The NBA and AWS will deliver in-language content and personalized experiences to fans across all platforms, helping to accelerate basketball’s growth worldwide.

This partnership expands the NBA’s existing relationship with Amazon. This season marks the start of Prime Video's 11-year media rights agreement, with 66 regular-season NBA matchups streaming on Prime Video globally, and a suite of new interactive features set to debut. Prime Video will also serve as the strategic partner and third-party global subscriptions store destination for NBA League Pass, offering streaming of live and on-demand games in the U.S. and internationally.

The first night of the NBA on Prime will feature a doubleheader on Friday, October 24, with the Celtics visiting the Knicks (7:30 p.m. ET) and the Lakers hosting the Timberwolves (10 p.m. ET)—both rematches from the 2025 NBA Playoffs.