NBA's Summer League Is a Hot Bed of AI, Immersive Innovation Testing Audio mixing, intelligent camera framing are among AI-driven efforts By Ken Kerschbaumer, Editorial Director Thursday, July 17, 2025 - 8:00 am
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The NBA Summer League is into its final week. It's a last chance for NBA teams to evaluate rookie and young talent while the league's media operations and technology team tests out new production gear, workflows, and more.
Summer League is one of our key opportunities to push boundaries of innovation, says Ken DeGennaro, EVP, media operations and technology, NBA. We're always thinking about how we can set ourselves up for future success alongside our partners. Among the highlights this year is experimenting with multiple avenues of AI workflows that can not only consume and understand our very data-enriched video feeds but also react and augment.
All of this is still in the early stages, he continues, but being able to quickly contextualize and respond to live moments will be a true game-changer for our content teams. Our broadcast-engineering team has been leading the charge on these initiatives, and we're excited about the possibilities.
A Shure Array microphone is being tested at the NBA Summer League.
Among the efforts are AI-driven event detection to audio mixing powered by EDGE Sound Research, as well as intelligent camera framing through NEP Specialty Capture. We're leveraging artificial intelligence to enhance both the quality and scalability of our workflows, DeGennaro says. These tests are helping us explore how AI can be intentionally integrated to streamline operations and elevate the production experience.
EDGE Sound Research, for example, is working with Shure to make audio coverage of what is happening on the court more immersive and impactful. Leveraging cutting-edge hardware and software, we aim to bring fans closer to the game by amplifying iconic on-court sounds - like the squeak of sneakers and the swish of the net - while reducing background noise from in-venue music and horns. This initiative is designed to make every moment on the court feel more immersive, authentic, and connected.
Those tests use NBA Player Tracking Data to automatically generate a submix, dynamically adjusting based on the positional data of players and other objects on the court. Another test explores a more hands-on approach, where these audio objects are made available to a submixer for manual control - allowing greater creative input and flexibility in the mix.
With respect to on-the-court video-coverage enhancements, DeGennaro credits Victor Cerejo, broadcast strategy and technology support, NBA, and the rest of the production team with driving the efforts.
Spalding, the official manufacturer of our Renegade stanchions, has facilitated new camera positioning within the main column of the stanchion arm, DeGennaro explains. We're utilizing cameras such as the Nucleus and Proton and working closely with folks at Cosm and NEP Specialty Capture to identify solutions for this new position and evaluate all the new baseline views at our disposal.
A small square cutout in steel may not appear all that notable from the stands, but seemingly small changes do affect new ways of showing on-court action. As camera technology continues to shrink in size, he says, the demand for access around the basket stanchion has grown significantly. We're now supporting a wide range of needs - from our broadcast partners and photographers to social- and digital-content teams. Currently, for marquee events such as the NBA All-Star Game and Finals, more than 10 cameras are strategically positioned above the rim, behind the glass, below the rim, and even at the base of the stanchion.
Despite all those already existing angles, he says, the volume of requests continues to grow. We're exploring a new camera position that offers a fresh angle for content capture, he adds, one that enhances storytelling while maintaining the integrity of the game experience. I have hopes this will become standard in the near future and inspire more ideas on how we can further innovate these core on-court elements for broadcast storytelling.
NEP Specialty Cameras is participating in AI-testing workflows at NBA Summer League.
In addition to technical innovation, the NBA is continuing to expand how it works with partner ESPN to reinvest in the industry and advancing two interconnected initiatives through collaboration with the NBA Foundation and Program Productions. One component offers hands-on experience for a local technical director, who shadow-cuts a few Summer League games.
In parallel, a behind-the-scenes tour is being organized for Team Inc., a Bay Area-based organization whose mission is to train, empower, and mentor youths historically underrepresented in the sports and data-analytics industries. The group looks to help them secure meaningful careers in sports or related fields. Additionally, key ESPN staff members will engage with Team Inc. participants to share insights into career opportunities across the industry's production and technical sides.
[ESPN Coordinating Producer] Thomas Kintner, [Operations Manager] Shane Smith, [Production Coordinator] Alan McDonald, [Senior Operations Producer] Kelley Nagi, and the production, technical, and operations teams at ESPN are working with the NBA to find more ways to drive exposure and education around the industry for the next generation, DeGennaro says. This includes connecting with students, speaking with them about employment opportunities and showing them around the truck.
Each technology tested at the Summer League is selected because the NBA sees an opportunity to create solutions that can improve the production and/or fan experience. Our b
