Photo: Courtesy of Alibaba

NBA China and Alibaba Cloud, the digital technology and intelligence arm of Alibaba Group, Thursday announced a multi-year collaboration to reimagine the ways fans in China experience and engage with the NBA through AI and cloud technology.

Through the cooperation, which makes Alibaba Cloud an official cloud computing and AI partner of NBA China, Alibaba Cloud will develop innovative applications to enhance live game viewing and other fan engagement experiences, including in conjunction with NBA All-Star, the NBA Playoffs and the Finals, according to the information Alibaba shared with Global Times on Thursday. 

NBA China will utilize Alibaba Cloud's AI and cloud computing services to support a wide range of digital fan engagement initiatives, including the development of a proprietary AI model for NBA China based on Alibaba's Qwen series of AI models. 

The proprietary AI model, fine-tuned with the league's range of digital assets, will provide NBA App users in China with engaging content, including real-time game highlights, historical basketball data, player insights and interactive discussions on trending basketball-related topics. 

In addition, Alibaba Cloud will debut a Real-Time 360 Replay Solution at The NBA China Games 2025, providing fans with AI-powered visual enhancements to replay highlights.  Powered by Alibaba's AI algorithms, the system tracks player movements and generates a visual presentation of high-quality frames to highlight key plays through a spherical view.

This year's NBA China Games will also showcase innovative and interactive fan experiences powered by Alibaba Cloud's AI capabilities.  

At NBA House, fans can create personalized NBA-themed avatars and generate iconic game commentary clips in a voice replicated from a sample of their own using AI technologies powered by Qwen. 

In addition, NBA China will utilize Alibaba Cloud's intelligent analytical tools to generate data-driven insights to enhance its fan engagement efforts.  Quark and the Tongyi App, Alibaba's consumer-facing AI applications, will become Official Marketing Partners of NBA China and engage with Chinese fans. 

Global Times