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National Basketball Association (NBA) and Amazon Web Services (AWS) announce new multi-year partnership to power the next era of basketball innovation

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12 months ago

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basketball

A real-time alert system within Play Finder will enable commentators to instantly provide historical context and strategic insights, making every live game more engaging, educational, and insightful for viewers

NEW YORK, United States of America, October 1, 2025/APO Group/ —

  • AWS to Become the Official Cloud and Cloud AI Partner of the NBA, WNBA, NBA G League, Basketball Africa League and NBA Take-Two Media –
  • New Cloud AI Platform, Built on AWS, to Power League-wide Innovation and Bring New Level of Access to NBA and WNBA Fans –

The National Basketball Association (NBA) (www.NBA.com) and Amazon Web Services (AWS) today announced (https://apo-opa.co/3KQ0bhl) a multi-year partnership to power the league’s next generation of innovation as AWS will become 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.

As part of the partnership, the NBA and AWS will launch NBA Inside the Game powered by AWS, a new basketball intelligence platform that will turn billions of data points into compelling insights and interactive experiences, reimagining how fans engage with the game of basketball worldwide.

Built on AWS’s industry-leading AI infrastructure, the platform will introduce a suite of features that enhance live broadcasts and elevate fan experiences across the NBA App, NBA.com, and the league’s social channels.

“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 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.”

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

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

AI-Powered Advanced Stats

The NBA will leverage AWS’s AI capabilities to provide fans with live stats and comprehensive analytics during games. This new advanced statistics platform processes the NBA’s player tracking data, which analyzes the movements of 29 data points per player using machine learning and AI to contextualize in-game developments and generate real-time insights. Fans can deepen their understanding of the game by accessing new statistics via the NBA App, NBA.com and during live NBA games, including during NBA on Prime broadcasts.

Throughout the 2025-26 season, the NBA and AWS will introduce new AI-powered stats that capture aspects of basketball performance that have not been measured previously, starting with:

• Defensive Box Score: Reimagining Basketball’s Fundamental Metric Defensive Box Score quantifies individual defensive contributions that traditional statistics cannot measure. AI algorithms detect which defender is responsible for each offensive player in real-time. Once the primary defender is determined, the traditional box score can now be enhanced by identifying the defender at the time each stat was recorded. Additional new metrics like ball pressure, double teams and defensive switches can now be viewed and tallied as well.

• Shot Difficulty: The Science of Shooting 
Shot Difficulty transcends 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 takes into account various factors such as the shooter’s orientation and setup, defensive contest details related to pressure, interference, and each player’s positioning on the court. This new 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 new 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 amount of space they create for their teammates. This revolutionary system processes optical tracking data 60 times per second, using custom neural networks to analyze how defenders react to specific players, while factoring in real-time game context and historical data.

Transforming Basketball Intelligence

NBA Inside the Game powered by AWS will also feature a first-of-its-kind technology called “Play Finder,” which uses AI to analyze and understand player movements across thousands of games.  Utilizing AWS services such as Amazon Bedrock (https://apo-opa.co/3Kx1oKs) and Amazon SageMaker (https://apo-opa.co/4mHodbG), the feature will enable instant search and retrieval of similar plays, laying the foundation for future generative AI integrations built on player tracking data.  Play Finder will help fans and broadcasters learn common offensive strategies and explore deeper insights by combining play results with advanced analytics.

A real-time alert system within Play Finder will enable commentators to instantly provide historical context and strategic insights, making every live game more engaging, educational, and insightful for viewers.  NBA teams will have direct access to the ML models powering Play Finder to improve their front office and coaching workflows.

Future iterations of Play Finder will allow fans to explore basketball strategy with unprecedented depth on the NBA App.

Global Fan Engagement

The NBA App, NBA.com and NBA League Pass, delivering year-round NBA coverage and programming to fans around the world, will run on AWS. Through this partnership with AWS, the NBA will accelerate basketball’s growth worldwide by offering fans new and unique opportunities to understand team strategy and the concepts that lead to execution on the court. Additionally, the NBA and AWS will deliver in-language content and personalized experiences to fans across platforms.

The NBA’s partnership with AWS broadens its strategic relationship with Amazon. This season marks the start of Prime Video’s landmark 11-year media rights agreement (https://apo-opa.co/4mHXOdS) with 66 regularseason 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, Oct. 24 during the first week of the season, with the Celtics visiting the Knicks (7:30 p.m. ET) and the Lakers hosting the Timberwolves (10 p.m. ET) in two rematches from the NBA Playoffs 2025.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of National Basketball Association (NBA).

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Former NBA Africa and Basketball Africa League Executive Aïcha Diop Joins African Collaborations Group (ACG) Advisory Board to Advance Sport and Entertainment Districts Across Africa

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5 days ago

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September 14, 2026

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Ms Diop was part of the team that launched the BAL — the first professional sports league operated by the NBA outside of North America

LONDON, United Kingdom, September 14, 2026/APO Group/ –African Collaborations Group (ACG) (www.ACGafrica.com), the leading strategic project origination and collaboration platform focused on the industrialisation of sport in Africa through the origination of bankable sport and entertainment district ecosystems, today announced the appointment of Aïcha Diop to its Advisory Board.

 




  

Ms Diop is a seasoned international executive with more than 18 years of experience across Africa, Europe, the Middle East and North America, combining strategic leadership, operational execution and high-level expertise in marketing, brand development and audience growth. She is currently a consultant in brand marketing for sports organisations and athletes, with extensive experience in operations and event management.

She held senior positions at NBA Africa and the Basketball Africa League (BAL), where she was part of the team that launched the BAL — the first professional sports league operated by the NBA outside of North America. In her roles, she led multi-market initiatives, coordinated cross-functional teams across the continent, and contributed to the growth and visibility of the league through the design and execution of major brand campaigns and audience-development programmes.

Earlier in her career, Ms Diop held senior positions at IBM, where she managed regional initiatives across multiple African markets, aligning strategy with execution and supporting business growth. She also worked at Flash Entertainment, specialising in concerts, cultural and sport venues and events, where she was involved in the delivery of major international sport and entertainment events, including Formula 1, UFC, athletics, tennis, football competitions, and major concerts, giving her direct experience of the operational realities of high-profile events staged in African and international markets.

Her presence on our Advisory Board is a genuine strategic asset

Ms Diop holds a Master’s degree in Sport & Lifestyle Management from Rome Business School and a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration.

Her appointment to the ACG Advisory Board brings to the platform a rare depth of expertise in brand marketing, audience development and the commercial activation of continental sport properties, together with hands-on experience of launching and scaling major sport organisations in Africa — capabilities directly relevant to originating and structuring large-scale sport and entertainment district projects across the African continent, where the commercial and brand dimension of district ecosystems is decisive for their financial sustainability.

“Aïcha Diop brings to our Advisory Board a genuinely distinctive combination of continental sport marketing expertise and hands-on experience of building major sport organisations from the ground up in Africa. Her role in the launch of the Basketball Africa League — the first professional NBA-operated league outside North America — is precisely the type of institution-building experience ACG needs as we originate bankable sport and entertainment district ecosystems across the African continent. Her presence on our Advisory Board is a genuine strategic asset,” said Nicolas Pompigne-Mognard (www.Pompigne-Mognard.com), Founder and Executive Chairman of ACG.

The ACG Advisory Board provides strategic guidance as ACG originates and structures large-scale sport and entertainment district projects across the continent, aligning governments, development finance institutions (DFIs), investors, sport bodies and infrastructure partners to support the development of financially sustainable, mixed-use district ecosystems.

Africa’s sport economy is projected to reach $20 billion by 2035, yet the continent continues to lack the integrated district ecosystems required to support large-scale development. ACG addresses this gap by originating bankable sport and entertainment district projects, moving beyond single-venue development models towards mixed-use, revenue-generating and financially sustainable district ecosystems.

Through its collaborative model, ACG convenes governments, PPP authorities and regulators, development finance institutions, private investors, developers, designers and engineers, legal and transaction advisors, operators, sport federations and leagues, event promoters, media and broadcast partners, academic institutions and host communities, creating structured pathways from concept to feasibility, bankability and delivery.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Collaborations Group (ACG).

 




 

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Emblem, Mascot and Theme Slogan of WCH Beijing 27 Unveiled at One-Year Countdown Event

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1 week ago

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September 11, 2026

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WCH Beijing 27

BEIJING, CHINA – Media OutReach Newswire – 11 September 2026 – On 10 September, the one-year countdown event for the World Athletics Championships Beijing 27 (WCH Beijing 27) was held in the Golden Hall of the National Stadium, commonly known as the Bird’s Nest. Amidst the anticipation of the audience, the emblem, mascot, and theme slogan of the WCH Beijing 27 were officially unveiled, conveying the message of Beijing through unique designs.

The emblem, “Jing Yue”, centred on the Temple of Heaven and the Chinese character “京” (Jing), draws on the expressive charm of Chinese calligraphy, engraves Beijing’s local identity, and radiates the vibrant energy of athletics.
 




 

The mascot, “Jing Yan”, draws inspiration from “Yan’er”, the mascot of the 2015 edition of the Championships. Modelled after the Beijing swift, it symbolises “the return of the swift after 12 years”. The design subtly incorporates traditional Chinese kite patterns and the expressive eye makeup of Peking Opera, while a lightning-bolt dynamic adds a sense of speed. This seamlessly blends natural vitality, culture, art, and athletic competition. It not only nods to the 2015 edition of the Championships, but also brings Beijing’s rich cultural heritage vividly to life.

The theme slogan “Every Step Counts” embodies the relentless competitive spirit that every step and every effort matters. It sends a warm yet resolute message to the world: on the road to excellence, every wholehearted effort holds extraordinary value.

In his video address, President of World Athletics Sebastian Coe noted that Beijing is the first city in the world to have successfully hosted both the Summer and Winter Olympics, with a remarkable record of staging world-class events. He said the World Championships Beijing 2015 produced many iconic moments, and that World Athletics firmly believes China will stage the 2027 edition of the Championships to the highest possible standard and deliver an unforgettable sporting spectacular for audiences across the globe.

The World Athletics Championships Beijing 27 will be held at the National Stadium from 10 to 19 September 2027. More than 2,000 athletes from over 200 countries and regions will gather at the Bird’s Nest for this grand athletics celebration.
 
 




 

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Afreximbank and TopTier Sports Management unveil star-studded legends football match to be played at Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX) WKND 2026 in Lagos, Nigeria

Published

1 week ago

on

September 11, 2026

By

Afreximbank

The event celebrates the 30th Anniversary of the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Super Eagles squad and Africa’s Creative Economy

LAGOS, Nigeria, September 11, 2026/APO Group/ –African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) (www.Afreximbank.com), through its Creative Africa Nexus (CANEX) programme, and TopTier Sports Management, What Media Group, today announced plans for a landmark Legends Football Match as a cornerstone event of the CANEX WKND 2026 programme.

 




  

The Legends Football Match, scheduled for 8 November 2026 at Onikan Stadium, Lagos, will bring together football icons from Africa and beyond. The event celebrates the 30th anniversary of the legendary mid-1990s Super Eagles squad—commemorating their historic 1994 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) triumph, 1994 FIFA World Cup run, and their defining 1996 Olympic Gold medal in Atlanta.

The 1996 Super Eagles did more than win Olympic gold; they re-wrote the global narrative

As part of CANEX WKND 2026—Afreximbank’s flagship platform for advancing Africa’s creative and cultural industries—the match will showcase the link between sports, entertainment, and the broader creative economy.

The event is expected to attract significant interest from football fans, the creative community and the wider public, with local and international media also attending.

Speaking during the press conference, Temwa Gondwe, Director of Creatives and Diaspora at Afreximbank said: “The 1996 Super Eagles did more than win Olympic gold; they re-wrote the global narrative, proving to the world that African talent is an unstoppable force. Today, the intersection of sports, entertainment, and culture is the heartbeat of Africa’s creative economy. The Legends Game is more than a celebration of our glorious past – it is a strategic and formidable platform to discuss the future commercialisation and empowerment of African athletes and creatives globally.”

Chichi Nwoko Founder and CEO of TopTier Sports Management, What Media Group, responsible for the planning and execution of the Legends Football Games said, “Thirty years ago, a generation of Nigerian footballers showed the world what African talent was capable of. The Legends Football Game is our way of saying thank you to them, and our chance to ask harder questions: what are we building for this generation and the next? We want to build the infrastructure that lets African athletes turn a playing career into a lasting one, on and off the field; this is a huge gap that must be addressed. That’s what this partnership with Afreximbank seeks to achieve.”

The Legends Football Match will also contribute to the broader CANEX WKND 2026 objective of positioning Lagos as a leading destination for Africa’s creative industries and demonstrating the power of major cultural and entertainment events to drive economic activity, tourism, investment, and international engagement.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Afreximbank.

 




 

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