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Amazon’s AWS Partners with NBA to Power New AI Basketball Platform

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Amazon Web Services (AWS), the cloud computing arm of Amazon.com, has signed a multi-year partnership with the National Basketball Association (NBA) to create AI-driven features, analytics, and fan experiences across the league’s digital platforms.

The collaboration, announced on Wednesday, will debut “NBA Inside the Game”, a new AI-powered platform designed to transform in-game data into interactive insights for fans, teams, and broadcasters. The deal’s financial terms were not disclosed.

A NEW ERA OF DATA-DRIVEN BASKETBALL

The NBA’s new system will leverage AWS’s machine learning and data processing tools to analyze real-time game statistics and produce advanced visualizations. The features will appear across live broadcasts, the NBA App, the league’s official website, and social media channels, providing deeper, faster, and more personalized insights into gameplay.

Fans will be able to see advanced statistics — such as defensive positioning, shot success probabilities, and team strategy analytics — generated instantly by AI models trained on player and game data.

Teams will also gain access to the data, enabling them to review matches, adjust strategies, and identify player performance trends.

“Whenever we build a statistic, there is always input from our teams,” said Ken DeGennaro, the NBA’s Head of Media Operations and Technology. “We want to ensure that these services not only engage fans but also help our teams improve their on-court strategies.”

AI’S GROWING PRESENCE IN SPORTS

The partnership reflects a broader trend in global sports toward AI integration, where leagues increasingly partner with tech giants to enhance both fan engagement and team performance.

Earlier this year, Microsoft signed a five-year deal with the English Premier League to embed its AI Copilot technology into the league’s digital ecosystem, illustrating how artificial intelligence is reshaping the business of sports.

For AWS, the deal strengthens its expanding presence in sports analytics — a field where its technology already powers insights for organizations like Formula 1, the NFL, and Bundesliga.

As part of the NBA collaboration, AWS will handle data collection, analysis, and visualization in real time, helping redefine how fans experience basketball and how coaches and players analyze it.

Microsoft and OpenAI strike non-binding deal to enable restructuring

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Microsoft and OpenAI announced on Thursday that they have signed a non-binding agreement to redefine their partnership, paving the way for OpenAI to restructure into a for-profit company. The move would allow the ChatGPT creator to adopt a more conventional governance model, raise capital more freely, and potentially pursue an eventual IPO.

While details of the new commercial terms were not disclosed, both companies said they are working toward a definitive agreement. The talks mark a major shift in one of the most closely watched partnerships in the AI sector, forged to fuel the global boom in generative AI.

Microsoft has invested $11 billion in OpenAI since 2019 and until recently enjoyed exclusive rights to market OpenAI’s tools through its Azure cloud platform. But the dynamic has shifted: OpenAI has launched its own Stargate data center project, signed $300 billion in contracts with Oracle, and struck another cloud deal with Google, signaling its desire to diversify partnerships and reduce reliance on Microsoft.

For its part, Microsoft wants to preserve access to OpenAI’s technology even if OpenAI claims to reach artificial general intelligence (AGI) — a threshold that under current terms would end the partnership.

OpenAI is targeting a $500 billion valuation, with its nonprofit arm set to receive more than $100 billion, according to chairman Bret Taylor. The conversion still requires approval from attorneys general in California and Delaware, and OpenAI risks losing billions in tied funding if it fails to finalize the transition by year-end.

The evolving relationship underscores the growing competitive tension between the two. Microsoft is developing its own AI models to reduce dependency, while both companies continue to compete in enterprise tools and consumer-facing chatbots.

Premier League Signs Five-Year AI Partnership with Microsoft to Enhance Fan Engagement

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The English Premier League announced a five-year partnership with Microsoft on Tuesday, aiming to integrate Microsoft’s AI-powered Copilot into the league’s digital platforms. This collaboration will provide fans with instant access to detailed facts and statistics about matches, players, and clubs.

The AI companion, fueled by Microsoft’s Copilot technology, will draw from an extensive database including over 30 seasons of Premier League statistics, 300,000 articles, and 9,000 videos, allowing fans to explore rich historical and current data seamlessly.

Sports leagues worldwide have increasingly adopted AI technology to manage and analyze vast amounts of data, enhancing fan experiences and engagement. For example, Spain’s LaLiga employs AI for match analysis and media production, while individual clubs use AI-driven tools to deepen fan interaction.

In addition to AI integration, the Premier League is migrating its digital infrastructure to Microsoft Azure. This move is designed to simplify AI deployment and establish a unified, modern platform for the league’s digital services.