The Second Spectrum arm of British digital sports content, technology and integrity services provider Genius Sports Group Limited has signed a multi-year deal to offer its range of services to the National Basketball Association (NBA).
The arrangement has involved Second Spectrum being named as an Official League Pass Augmentation Provider and Official Team Basketball Analytics Provider for the professional basketball organization. The pair has also agreed to research and develop a new Dragon next-generation technology platform so as to track ‘mesh’ data and synthesize millions of on-court data points.
As a result of this partnership and the 30-team NBA is to utilize augmentation technologies from Second Spectrum so as to create automated and enhanced graphics based on optical on-court basketball data for use via its alternative NBA League Pass telecasts. These broadcasts are to subsequently provide analytics-focused fans with an enriched experience as well as viewing optionality by having advanced team and player statistical insights integrated directly into their streams.
As if this wasn’t enough and Genius Sports Group Limited is to be permitted to continue utilizing a vast range of official NBA tracking data for the basketball insights and analytics engine from Second Spectrum. As such and the company will moreover carry on supplying such services to every one of the league’s teams in order to allow these to benefit from the arm’s precise machine learning technologies.
“As one of the most technologically advanced leagues in world sport, NBA teams, fans, broadcasters and media partners demand cutting-edge innovations,” Mark Locke, Chief Executive Officer for Genius Sports Group Limited, said. “We are thrilled to expand our long-term partnership with the NBA and are proud that the NBA shares our vision that Dragon can solve the technology challenges of the future.”
