NBA: Microsoft, partner from 2020-21, to develop a personalised OTT platform

Microsoft, a US computer company, has become the "official artificial intelligence partner and an official cloud and laptop partner" of the National Basketball Association, the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), the NBA G League (development league) and USA Basketball (federation), as part of a multi-year agreement "beginning with the 2020-21 season," announced the NBA on 16/04/2020. The aim of the partnership is to "transform the way fans experience the NBA."

"Microsoft and NBA Digital - co-managed by the NBA and Turner Sports (subsidiary of the media and entertainment company WarnerMedia and responsible for television and online sports programmes) - will create a new, innovative, direct-to-consumer platform (OTT) on Microsoft Azure (cloud service) that will use machine learning and artificial intelligence to deliver next-generation, personalized game broadcasts and other content offerings as well as integrate the NBA's various products and services from across its business. The platform will reimagine how fans engage with the NBA from their devices by customizing…