The NBA Turns to AI to Liven up its Games




The NBA is looking to liven up there games and rile up there fans. The NBA is looking to create an AI chatbot on there NBA app to change the way you are able to live stream and interact with the game you are watching. They are calling it NB-AI, it will also have voice assistance. This chatbot is still being tested but fans will be able to access it as soon as it is released. Fans can use this new AI chatbot by downloading the NBA app on their phones. Adam Silver, the leagues Tech Summit is the one who came up with this idea. They decided this would be a great idea and benefit the NBA and fans more because views have been down for NBA games. Silvers goal is to engage the fans more and his vision comes to life with this new easy interactive access to the NBA games.  Another idea that was considered by Silver was giving fans the option on the app to change the live stream to be a cartoon. They used the example of looking similar to the spider-man movie. 


Do you think this will be a successful idea? Would you personally use the NB-AI chatbot to watch your favorite NBA team play? 


Article used. 

https://www.tomsguide.com/ai/nba-turns-to-ai-to-liven-up-its-games-new-nb-ai-chatbot-can-even-change-how-games-appear-in-the-app


Comments

  1. BSIE BlogMarch 4, 2024 at 6:21 AM

    I think NB-AI will be successful but for a reason you hadn’t mentioned: translation. While understanding sports does not typically require a language, more and more NBA fans do not speak English and NB-AI can help them connect better with NBA broadcasts and media. During the reveal of NB-AI, they translated the basketball movie “Hoosiers” (which is one of my personal favorites) into French. By translating basketball media and games into other languages, the NBA will be able to reach a greater audience and improve its overall viewership. Since I speak English and don’t enjoy cartoons, I will not be using NB-AI soon but I hope it helps my favorite team, the Chicago Bulls, increase its international fanbase.
    - Michael Gadek

    Source: https://sg.news.yahoo.com/nba-turns-ai-liven-games-135534588.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAABaw97FF46vqI_J5GNrpwwcr3nt62lP9WY2g_WESJ79vzJGYMc3ai45EgUiCpV74YyXzSgMAipJbXaROiaiIQ1tzUJdoxifIFk4SWY4qPC9VlXzonE1U9DVOvWzsf5BDes4-JieSx4t5Fz1R8H8QnUWuofEqjBS_4NlzdpybysSm

    ReplyDelete
  2. AnonymousMarch 5, 2024 at 12:14 PM

    I think this idea has the potential to be successful, but I feel there are many moving parts that need to be finalized in order to pull fans away from their typical broadcast, and over to NB-AI. Additionally, with new technology such as the Apple Vision Pro, a new more immersive experience can place fans court-side at any game they desire, and with the addition of NB-AI there is potential for a real-time augmented reality experience from the comfort of one's couch to watch their favorite teams play in the biggest games. Coming with this new possibility will likely be a hefty price-tag, so until these augmented-reality devices become more mainstream, I do not see the utilization of NB-AI through the app on your smartphone being common. That being said, I think this a very intriguing futuristic ideology for the NBA moving forward, and while this may not be the solution to increase fan engagement, it may very well be one of the building blocks en route to a new generation of NBA fans. - David Brubach

    ReplyDelete
  3. Business of Sports TeamMarch 6, 2024 at 2:52 AM

    After reading about this new concept of AI being a part of the NBA, I found that it was really captivating to see how they wanted it to be integrated in games and teams. I honestly think that using AI is something really risky only because we haven't progressed as a society using AI properly. The world almost seems against AI in many ways while big industries like the NBA are taken advantage of these things. I see it as a 50/50 competitions if it will work or in better words last a while for the NBA and viewers keep up with it. I am not a constant viewer of basketball or the NBA but knowing about this app addition I would only be curious to see the chat box and new insertions to watch it in cartoon versions. I would only do this out of curiosity but not sure if it would be consistent.
    -Marissa Martinez

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousMarch 6, 2024 at 7:19 AM

    The use of AI for broadcasting purposes is an interesting concept. I think it will provide a new was for fans who are without a traditional tv broadcast to interact with the sport. I feel that this will not be something adopted by all fans as some just like to have a traditional viewing experience without the additional input of a chat-bot. I do, however, think this will be great for people who are viewing it through the app that are being introduced to the sport. Also as others mentioned above, translation will be a huge benefit of this bot. Being able to tune into an NBA livestream in your native language will absolutely boost viewership of the sport as well as make fans worldwide feel more connected to the game.
    -John Douveas

    ReplyDelete
  5. Fan Engagement in Sports BlogMarch 6, 2024 at 9:32 AM

    After reading your blog, I came away with some questions of the that I did not feel were answered by you. The NBA has a struggling attendance and viewing problem during the regular season, and I want to know in what way NB-AI will help combat those issues. Secondly, is NB-AI only going to be avaibl;e to viewers watching the game through the NBA app? Back to the question that you have asked, I do not think that NB-AI will make a substantial dent in the problems that the NBA has with viewership, and according to the Sports Business Journal, "NBA viewership was flat this season, and still has yet to draw pre-pandemic averages (when out-of-home viewership was not yet folded into numbers)." (Sports Business Journal) I find it extremely hard to believe that an AI chat box will solve or even improve the NBA's viewership issues.

    Karp, A. (2023, April 12). NBA viewership flat, but still not back to pre-pandemic level. NBA viewership is flat but still not back to pre-pandemic level. https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2023/04/12/Media/nba-season-viewership-breakdown.aspx

    -Shane Levey

    ReplyDelete
  6. Aaron FelderMarch 8, 2024 at 5:02 AM

    Hello, I think the concept of integrating AI into nba games is a cool and interesting way to get fans engaged in the game. The main question I have from reading your article is what exactly would the chat box do? There are different ways they can integrate AI into the game like showing live stats, projections, or predictions. If the AI is used just for commentary than I do not think it is essential for the NBA to install this. In terms of fan engagement, fans talking to each other through a chat box is something that can already be done with other apps and allows fans to see what others are currently saying. I think there is opportunity for the NB-AI to be successful is it offers services that are not currently available or provides viewers with immersive in game experiences. Normal commentary for a chat box would not impact viewership numbers but something that is new and exciting may attract more fans to tune into the NBA app to watch the game.

    ReplyDelete
  7. FC DawnMarch 10, 2024 at 2:28 PM

    I find the NBA's introduction of the NB-AI chatbot and voice assistance feature in their app to be an interesting development that could significantly alter the way fans engage with basketball games. Adam Silver's proactive approach to leveraging technology to address declining viewership is commendable, and the NB-AI seems like a promising solution to enhance fan interaction. The prospect of being able to access live streams and interact with the game in real-time through a chatbot is amazing, as it offers a more personalized and interactive experience for fans. Additionally, the idea of incorporating customizable viewing options, like switching to a cartoon-style stream reminiscent of Spider-Man, adds an element of novelty and entertainment that could appeal to a wider audience. - Morgan Lyons



    ReplyDelete
  8. Business of Sports TeamMarch 10, 2024 at 2:58 PM

    The NBA's initiative to introduce an AI chatbot, NB-AI, on their app sounds exciting and innovative. With features like live streaming and interactive engagement, it is trying to revitalize the fan experience. Adam Silver's vision to boost fan engagement through technology is a good idea. Personally, I'm intrigued by the idea and would definitely try out the NB-AI chatbot to watch my favorite NBA team play. However, the success of this idea will depend on its execution and how well it resonates with fans' preferences and needs. I am not the biggest fan of Adam Silver as the commissioner, but this idea does not sound like a bad one. Overall, it's a promising step towards enhancing the NBA viewing experience.
    -Spencer Joseph

    ReplyDelete
  9. Maggie JonesMarch 10, 2024 at 3:40 PM

    I really enjoyed reading your blog post! I think the NBA bringing the AI chatbot has potential to make the game more engaging and reinventing the viewing experience. I'm very interested to see more of what this looks like realistically and what specific features the NB-AI is going to include. I think that it is an experience that I would definitely try out to see what an event count feel like through this, but there will always be something about being at an actual game that AI can't capture. However I'm excited to see what this does for viewership especially with an association that is loosing fans.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Devin WeberMarch 11, 2024 at 12:15 AM

    I think it's an interesting concept but I'm not sure how it will do for older generations watching the sport. I would use it to look up stats about certain players easier and learn more about the team however beyond that I don't think it would have much more involvement. Older generations would probably try to push it away but, the newer generations watching the sport would most likely enjoy the new feature and continue to grow with it as AI improves. Do you think it could grow to be too involved I the sport has AI improves?
    - Devin Weber

    ReplyDelete
  11. Business of Sports TeamMarch 11, 2024 at 3:59 AM

    NB-AI sounds like a great idea to revitalize NBA games! I’m not entirely sure how the Apple Vision Pro works but it sounds like the two could go hand in hand. Very interesting topic!
    - Tati Clinton

    ReplyDelete
  12. HenryMarch 14, 2024 at 4:22 AM

    Great article! The NBA's initiative to introduce an AI chatbot, NB-AI, with voice assistance to enhance the fan experience and boost engagement is innovative and forward-thinking. By providing interactive features and easy access to live streams through the NBA app, the league aims to address declining viewership and cater to modern fan preferences. While the concept of integrating AI technology into live game viewing is promising, its success will ultimately depend on execution and user adoption. As for personally using the NB-AI chatbot to watch NBA games, it would depend on the effectiveness of the features and the overall user experience, but the idea presents exciting possibilities for enhancing fan interaction with the sport.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

AI In Cycling: A New Era of the Tour de France

Image
Cycling is one of the most data intensive sports there is. Cyclists monitor everything from how far they travel to how fast they go to their calorie intake to their heart rate on the bike and more. With the vast amount of data that is used on a daily basis by cyclists and their coaches, it is important that it is analyzed effectively and efficiently. In recent years, this has become the job of artificial intelligence to predict and suggest ways for the athlete to improve. A large example of this can be seen in the world's most prestigious bike race, the Tour de France. During the race, the bikes are able to transmit constant information regarding latitude, longitude, and speed of the bike. A computing device then runs a platform that provides real time analytics. This is just some of the data that is analyzed by NTT's AI platform, known as the digital human solution. This platform has been taught and obtained intelligence that is important for the bikers in the race. The athlet...
Read more

Artificial Intelligence's Impacts on Sports Betting

Image
 While many people choose their sports bets based on emotion or because it is their favorite team, there are also many people who use advanced models and strategies to analyse huge amounts of data to try and determine who is going to win a match or what bets are the best to place. There have always been companies and content producers who claim to have the best strategy or information, but none of them are able to get near the claimed success rates of new AI powered models.  The analysis of vast amounts of data in order to determine patterns is one of the strengths of AI, and in cases like the advertisement below for RektBookie , show just how effective these AI tools might become.  More and more advertisements like these are popping up across social media, as people create their own AI programs to complete these tasks, and others just use popular AI tools like Open AI's ChatGPT to create models and betting strategies. These AI tools will analyse all the available data an...
Read more

Will these trends shape the future of AI's use in sport?

Image
  Forbes   recently posted a list of the 5 things that will be most important for AI in professional sports, but they left out one key way which might end up being the aspect of sports that fans interact with the most. The first of Forbes predictions is already prominently used across several sports, “AI for Predicting Player Performance and Injury Prevention” like the MLB’s “Statcast”, which measures a huge amount of data about each player’s movements and results.    Their second trend is “AI For Improving Sports Equipment” which is being employed in many different sports to create safer and more effective gear. Similar to their first trend, their third point was “AI for Athlete Training” which discusses using the same technology and data during training to optimize each athlete’s performance. Their fourth was “AI for Fan Engagement” which discusses Wimbledon’s use of AI for captions on highlight videos, and data-gathering capabilities for personalization of adverti...
Read more