NEW YORK—The NBA said it will launch several new features for the NBA App for the 2024-25 season, including AI-powered insights and multiviewer capabilities allowing fans to watch four games simultaneously on “NBA League Pass,” its out-of-market subscription package.
NBA League Pass subscribers worldwide will also be able to customize their viewing experience. With the upgrade, fans can smart-rewind games from any point, with key plays highlighted; download full games for offline viewing; and access a range of game recaps including “All Possessions,” “10-Minute Condensed,” “Key Highlights” and more. Additionally, the app will offer interactive synced stats and analytics, ensuring its users experience the game as if it is live no matter when they are watching.
The app is adding “NBA Insights,” an AI-powered tool that leverages the power of Microsoft Azure and AI to identify key narratives, player performances and notable milestones. Insights will provide fans with a continuous feed of text-based updates beyond the box score to better contextualize the on-court action.
The NBA App will also use generative AI to localize content, offering game recaps in French, Portuguese and Spanish, as well as translations for select original programming.
Select NBA League Pass games this season will be produced and presented via cutting-edge immersive technology.
Fans in Los Angeles and Dallas can watch immersive 8K games at Cosm’s new “shared reality” venues beginning on Oct. 22 for Kia NBA Tip-Off 2024. The Cosm game schedule can be found here. As part of the league’s partnership with Meta, 52 live game broadcasts will be streamed in immersive VR in NBA Arena in Meta Horizon Worlds and Xtadium on Meta Quest, which is the official mixed reality headset of the NBA, NBA G League and WNBA.
Xtadium will also allow NBA League Pass subscribers to watch every live 2D game nightly in mixed reality, complete with real-time stats. More information, including the full 2024-25 NBA game schedule for Meta Quest, can be found here.
In addition, the league continues to expand the technological capabilities of its “Next Gen integrated digital platform,” which is now powering four team-specific direct-to-consumer streaming services in the NBA App: BlazerVision (Portland Trail Blazers), ClipperVision (Los Angeles Clippers), Jazz+ (Utah Jazz) and Suns Live (Phoenix Suns). The platform, which is the technology backbone for the NBA App, also enables direct-to-consumer service Spectrum SportsNet+ (Los Angeles Lakers).
The app will feature more original content this season. Content on the NBA App throughout the season will incorporate “Dunk Score,” an AI-calculated grade for in-game dunks in real-time based on such factors as the player’s jumping distance, style and force at the rim, as well as defensive efforts from the opposing team.
New original content tips off with a special, “Pass the Rock: Rookie Year Edition.” This episode will follow San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama’s transition to the NBA, culminating in him being named the Kia NBA Rookie of the Year. On Sunday, Oct. 20, the NBA will launch “Raising 18,” a nine-part docuseries narrated by five-time NBA All-Star Al Horford, spotlighting the Boston Celtics’ journey to winning the 2024 NBA Finals.
In addition, popular features within the NBA App have been enhanced to increase personalization. Those enhancements include the new ‘Following’ tab, which combines the latest content from favorite teams and players into an algorithmic feed, as well as the revamped “Game Stories,” now with pregame analysis, highlights and interactive polls.
“Moments”—the popular vertical social media-style feed feature—has been upgraded to include multilanguage support and can now be accessed on Roku TV for quick content consumption on larger screens.
On NBA League Pass, fans will have access to more than 800 live out-of-market games and a variety of alternate telecast options, including in-language streams (Spanish, Portuguese and Korean), the return of the popular “NBA Strategy Stream,” providing fans with a unique viewing option breaking down in-game tactics, and “NBA HooperVision” featuring NBA legend Quentin Richardson. Additional alternate stream options will be announced throughout the season.
NBA League Pass will also be the primary destination for NBA games every weekend in November, with all games scheduled to stream on the platform (with no national blackouts). Subscribers can access up to 15 games per day on weekends throughout the month, with members of NBA ID—the league’s global membership program—receiving complimentary access to League Pass during the first Member Days of the season on Nov. 16-17. NBA ID members in the U.S. and Canada can also participate in a series of challenges in the NBA App and NBA.com between Oct. 20-27 to win a trip to the Emirates NBA Cup in Las Vegas.
For more information on the “NBA ID Challenge: Your Season Debut”, click here.
NBA League Pass premium commercial-free packages are available on NBA.com and in the NBA App for $159.99 a season (or $24.99 a month) or $109.99 (or $16.99 a month) for a standard package. The NBA App—a product of NBA Digital, the league’s joint venture with TNT Sports—is powered by Microsoft Azure.
