The newly-developed NBA app is in use for the 2022-23 season after the joint venture between NBA Digital and Microsoft Azure. Fans that might enjoy a new viewing experience prefer that it be personalized while also bringing together the real and virtual worlds. This includes various methods of presenting real-time highlights of preferred games and connecting fans with the rest of the NBA community when and how they prefer.
The NBA knows it’s imperative to have reliable technology partners and a solid strategy to help it deliver unique experiences and surpass expectations, similar to what the March Madness schedule succeeds in doing every spring. The league first announced the partnership with Microsoft in 2020, with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver making a statement at the time saying it “will help us redefine the way our fans experience NBA basketball.”
App Features AI and Machine Learning Capabilities
The new app incorporates current game data and historical data from past NBA seasons to offer fans the exact content they’ve asked for using other methods in the past. In addition, its machine learning and AI capabilities provide fans worldwide with a personalized experience and content tailored specifically for each individual.
The NBA app also helps connect the more than 2.1 billion fans in the league’s social media community by combining game data with fan insight to offer more engaging content and interactions that can’t be experienced using any other platform. In addition, the system continually learns about the league and its users and improves over time.
NBA Digital has also considered using virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and other technology to constantly improve the app and help it evolve. The goal is to provide fans with an authentic personalized NBA experience that gives them different game animations, various sports commentators, and many viewing angles, all available in real-time.
NBA CourtOptix
The new NBA app provides more powerful game insights to fans using NBA CourtOptix powered by Microsoft Azure, which gives them access to a wide variety of data. This includes advanced metrics, shot charts, player tracking and hustle stats, and the ability to watch absolutely every play from any game they choose. Even the most die-hard fan will need help processing all the available information.
These next-generation metrics come from the AI and machine learning capabilities of the Microsoft Azure platform, which can track all game action around the league and immediately give insights and analyze every play. NBA CourtOptix first appeared on the league’s social networking accounts with various posts that merged game data with on-court highlights while using player-tracking data to bring every play to life.
NBA CourtOptix, Powered by Microsoft Azure, uses player-tracking data to measure the distance players travel or how fast they’re running and their top speed burst at any time on the court while breaking down the game situation where it happened. For example, whether or not the play was a chase down on defense or a fast break transition dunk. This adds another dimension to player analysis that hasn’t been seen before.
New Features
One of the biggest features of the new NBA app is how Microsoft’s cloud computing helps reduce latency on live-streamed games on NBA League Pass. The league says it’s now 50% of what it was last season, which brings it up to the speed of regional TV broadcasts.
Many online betting elements have also been added to the new NBA app. NBA Betstream will make its return this season. It’s a weekly stream produced by NBA TV that gives fans info on betting trends and tips for live and upcoming games. NBA partners such as Action Network, Bleacher Report, and DraftKings also provide content on the app.
The NBA is careful about who they deal with in the gambling realm, only providing content from its partners. There are fewer gambling components on the international version of the NBA app as it focuses more on the international League Pass feature.
