The NBA called out its partnership with Microsoft as it unveiled a redesigned app on Tuesday.
The new app has content recommendation and personalization features “powered by Microsoft Azure and Azure AI,” according to a news release.
The app will have live streaming of games for NBA League Pass subscribers with higher video quality and lower streaming latency, according to the league. It also includes access to hundreds of past games from the “NBA vault,” as well as other video content. There is a new membership program called NBA ID.
The partnership with Microsoft, first announced in 2020, “will help us redefine the way our fans experience NBA basketball,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said at the time.
Microsoft is the league’s official cloud and AI partner. Last year the two organizations unveiled NBA CourtOptix Powered by Microsoft Azure, which uses Microsoft’s artificial intelligence and machine learning technology to track and analyze action on the court and turn it into insightful video about how well players perform in various situations and how that data stacks up against league averages.
The deal with the NBA follows other sports partnerships the tech giant has landed, including providing Microsoft Surface tablets on NFL sidelines.
Microsoft’s cloud arm continues to power its overall business. The company said Microsoft Cloud revenue grew to $25 billion, up 28% year-over-year, in its most recent quarterly financial report.
