The NBA has redefined itself as both a basketball company and a technology-media business, with league executives insisting the dual mission strengthens rather than dilutes its core product, according to statements from league leadership.
Evan Wasch, the NBA’s executive VP of basketball strategy, outlined the philosophy of the league’s organizational restructuring and expanded tech investments announced by Commissioner Adam Silver.
“My answer is yes, and the two are not mutually exclusive,” said Wasch. “And at our core, we have been, are, and always will be, a basketball company, because basketball is the core product that we’re selling to our fans and to our media partners. And so everything that I focus on right in my world is ‘How do we make basketball the best possible product to ultimately engage those fans?’
“We essentially hand it off to the rest of the business to figure out the best ways to take the game of basketball and engage fans. And I think that’s where we become the world-leading media and technology company.”
The league recently underwent a major reorganization integrating marketing units across divisions while emphasizing data analytics. Silver said the league needed to “develop a bit of a new muscle” to operate in evolving media and technology landscapes.
The NBA took over NBA TV after splitting from TNT Sports in its latest media rights deal. The league now supports teams’ local broadcasts and may launch direct game production and local League Pass offerings in coming years.
The NBA partnered with Sony’s Hawk-Eye in 2023 for player tracking data incorporating 29 body data points collected 60 times per second. The league also hired engineers from autonomous vehicle and tech companies to develop autonomous officiating capabilities.
The NBA uses physiological research to measure fan responses to rule changes and on-court product innovations. Research showed fans enjoyed three-point shooting despite public debate about excessive attempts last season.
The league established NBA Investments and NBA Launchpad to fund tech startups aligned with basketball interests. AI and large language models now create schedules, develop statistics and test multilingual broadcast translations.
Christopher Benyarko, NBA executive VP of direct-to-consumer, said the league must think like a “new age media company” to succeed with global audiences and cannot solely rely on external partners for innovation.
