Head in the Game: AWS Powers AI-Driven Basketball for NBA

The National Basketball Association (NBA) and Amazon Web Services (AWS) are entering into a multi-year partnership that will drastically improve basketball fan engagement and analytics with AI and cloud technology. 

As 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 – AWS will power the league’s new generation of innovation, launching a groundbreaking basketball intelligence platform called NBA Inside the Game powered by AWS.

AWS’ new platform is designed to transform billions of data points into compelling insights and interactive experiences, reshaping how fans connect with basketball around the world.

Built on AWS’ industry-leading AI infrastructure, NBA Inside the Game introduces a suite of advanced features that will enhance live broadcasts and elevate fan engagement across major NBA digital channels such as the NBA App, NBA.com and social media platforms.

AI: Elevating fan experiences

“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.”

This partnership builds on Amazon’s broader existing relationship with the NBA. 

The 2025-26 season also marks the start of Prime Video’s landmark 11-year media rights agreement, which includes streaming 67 regular-season NBA games globally plus interactive features debuting on Prime Video. 

AWS cloud AI and Amazon Prime’s media streaming not only positions basketball as a leader in sports innovation, but allows fans unprecedented tech-driven insights into the game.

How AI-powered advanced basketball stats revolutionise game analysis

One of the most exciting elements of the partnership is the introduction of new AI-driven advanced statistics formulated through NBA Inside the Game. 

These innovative metrics leverage AWS’ ML models to analyse the NBA’s player tracking data, which captures the movements of 29 data points per player in real time. 

This gives fans access to fresh statistical insights on the NBA App, NBA.com and during broadcasts including NBA on Prime Video.

The first metric reimagines a basketball fundamental by quantifying individual defensive contributions that traditional stats overlook. 

AI algorithms identify the primary defender responsible for each offensive player in real-time, allowing the traditional box score to be enhanced with defender attributions. 

Additional metrics such as ball pressure, double teams and defensive switches can also be viewed and quantified.

When it comes to shot difficulty, stats are more than simple shot outcomes and determine the complexity of each attempt. 

Factors like shooter orientation, pre-shot setup, defensive contest pressure, interference and player positioning on the court contribute to a new statistic called Expected Field Goal Percentage (xFG%), which provides fans a nuanced understanding of shooting skill and strategy.

The gravity stat measures the invisible impact certain players have by attracting defensive attention – creating space for teammates even without possessing the ball. 

Gravity is calculated through optical tracking data processed 60 times per second using custom neural networks that analyse defensive reactions in real time against historical data, quantifying what coaches and analysts have long understood about player influence on the court.

Introducing Play Finder

Beyond stats, NBA Inside the Game features Play Finder, an AI-driven technology that analyses and understands player movements from thousands of games using AWS services like Amazon Bedrock and Amazon SageMaker. 

Play Finder enables instant search and retrieval of similar plays, empowering fans and broadcasters to explore common strategies alongside advanced analytics. 

This system allows commentators to provide real-time historical context and strategic insights, making live games not only more engaging but also more educational.

NBA teams gain direct access to the machine learning models behind Play Finder, which can enhance front office decisions and coaching workflows. 

Future upgrades will enable fans to dive even deeper into basketball strategy through the NBA App, offering unprecedented insight into game tactics.