Prime Sports’ Big Bet On NBA Fan Engagement During Games

The NBA’s new media rights deal with Amazon Prime Video was guaranteed to be a different presentation from what fans previously saw on TNT. On Tuesday, the streaming service unveiled initial details on just how unique NBA On Prime games will look this season.

Most notable, of course, is the fact that sports betting will be front-and-center during contests – for fans that opt into the feature.

Betting On Betting

The NBA rolled out live betting features within the NBA League Pass app last year, and has previously partnered with ESPN around betting-focused game simulcasts. But Amazon’s integration with FanDuel here takes betting from a side feature for the league’s most dedicated streamers to a key aspect of national games (again, for those that opt-in, of course).

Prime Sports’ betting features will include personalized bet tracking (from FanDuel) and real-time bet tracking info during games – for fans that have linked their Prime Video and FanDuel accounts. Amazon will also have an Odds View experience that presents live betting information in-game as an overlay to the broadcast.

Fans won’t be able to place a bet directly on Prime Video, but that’s likely a larger function of state-by-state sports betting rules.

Sports betting was already a significant presence during games, accounting for 2.46% of household TV ad impressions during live NBA action last year, according to data from iSpot – No. 11 among all industries. These features codify that focus, while also presenting some possible air cover that allows betting to maintain its presence despite the number of ads potentially decreasing.

League Pass-Integrated Multiview

The “quad box” has become a fixture for sports fans in recent years, allowing for simultaneous viewing of up to four games on one screen. This NBA season, Prime Video expands on that idea, by integrating NBA League Pass content as well, for those also subscribed to that service.

Along with the feature to watch four games at once on smart TVs, multiview will also be available on many mobile devices (key, since many fans are watching NBA action, in particular, on the go). Amazon is also making the view customizable to have a primary game in the larger window, with smaller windows covering the other games.

Among the most frustrating aspects of the NBA League Pass smart TV – and mobile – interface to-date was the fact that switching between games was a hassle. This very much appears to solve that problem, keeping fans from having to constantly switch screens.

Building On “Highlights League” Idea

NBA commissioner Adam Silver may have attempted to backtrack from his earlier commentary around it being a “highlights league.” But that doesn’t mean its streaming features are shying away from that.

Prime Video will be using AI to instantly curate “Key Moments” for fans to instantly catch up on and relive in-game highlights with full play descriptions. The same idea plays into its Rapid Recap feature as well, using quick highlight reels (again, powered by AI) to bring late-joining fans up to speed in under two minutes, before transitioning them right into live action.

So yes, it’s a “highlights league” idea. But one being used for the purposes of quickly catching viewers up on live action, getting them into the important, ad-supported broadcast without as much fast-forwarding through ads.

Catching fans up in this manner also helps bridge the gap between West Coast fans and East Coast start times. Now, fans in Los Angeles don’t have to avoid a primetime New York start, because the Rapid Recap gives them what they need before jumping into the second half of action.

Familiar Features

Fans already used to watching Thursday Night NFL games will also get some familiar features incorporated, like real-time stats during the game and “Shop the Game” capabilities that allow fans to purchase merchandise in real time, too.

Amazon hasn’t said as much, but there is also a future opportunity to use Shop the Game features as another way to tap into the larger fashion culture around the NBA.

Between pregame fits and celebrity row at big-market games, there would seemingly be a chance to further connect the NBA to retail in a way that expands it outside of “just” sports apparel and into higher fashion retail in some respects.

In any case, Prime Video has already rolled out an impressive collection of new features for the NBA in its debut season. And if this is any indication of what’s to come, then this is exactly what the league was aiming for when moving a full third of its regular season inventory to a streaming service (and Amazon Prime Video, specifically).