Alibaba Cloud to power NBA China operations in multiyear deal

The National Basketball Association (NBA) and Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba have announced a multiyear partnership as the league marks its return to the Chinese market by staging two preseason games in Macau. Alibaba Cloud, the digital technology and intelligence backbone of Alibaba Group, revealed yesterday that it will provide artificial intelligence and cloud computing services to NBA China.

According to the agreement, Alibaba Cloud will develop applications to improve mainland user engagement on the NBA app, the league’s official website in China, and NBA China mini-programs.

This will be achieved by leveraging its proprietary AI model based on the Qwen series of foundational models. At the same time, NBA China will integrate Alibaba’s advanced technologies to offer a smarter, more interactive experience for basketball fans. This includes the annual NBA All-Star Game, the NBA Playoffs, and the Finals.

In a statement, Alibaba chairman Joseph Tsai said, “It is an exciting time at the intersection of sports and technology … AI and cloud technologies are enablers of connection – between player and fan, brand and consumer, global vision and local culture.”

These announcements come as the NBA gears up to play two preseason games in Macau at the Venetian Arena on Friday and Sunday, part of the “NBA China Games 2025” event.

Taobao 88VIP, the membership arm of Alibaba’s flagship domestic retail platform, is the presenting sponsor for the highly anticipated games in the city.

According to Alibaba Cloud’s announcement, the Brooklyn Nets and Phoenix Suns games at the Venetian will feature a new “Real-Time 360 Replay Solution.” Powered by AI-driven visual enhancements, this technology will allow fans to replay game highlights with unprecedented detail.

“The system tracks player movements and generates a visual presentation of high-quality frames to highlight key plays through a spherical view,” explained the company.

During the announcement, Mark Tatum, NBA Deputy Commissioner, remarked, “Our collaboration with Alibaba Cloud reflects our commitment to using the latest technology to engage the hundreds of millions of NBA fans in China in new and creative ways. We look forward to working with Alibaba Cloud to transform how fans across the country watch and experience the game in the years to come.”

As part of the multiyear collaboration with NBA China, Quarkk and the Tongyi App – Alibaba’s consumer-facing AI applications – will also become Official Marketing Partners of NBA China.

Currently, the NBA has a five-year contract with Sands China, the Macau unit of Las Vegas Sands, which falls within the conglomerate controlled by the Adelson family – who are also majority owners of the Dallas Mavericks.

Adding to the global connections behind the upcoming games, the Brooklyn Nets – the team scheduled to play later this week at the Venetian Macao – are owned by the Alibaba chairman.

“Much of the sports industry is based on relationships, and we think sports plays a unique role in building community – not just in the United States but around the world and particularly at times of heightened division,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said.

“Whether that division is domestic or global, there’s almost nothing else I can think of that brings together communities like sports does, and particularly a sport like basketball that is globally played – globally understood.”

The NBA’s return is significant given the league’s six-year absence following a period of political controversy sparked by the 2019 Hong Kong protests.

The saga began when Daryl Morey, then general manager of the Houston Rockets, posted a tweet supporting Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement. The message, calling to “Fight for Freedom” and “Stand with Hong Kong,” ignited widespread backlash from fans, government, and corporate partners.

In response, broadcasters such as CCTV and Tencent – then the NBA’s largest digital partner in China – halted their ties to the league.

Additionally, the Chinese Basketball Association and various government bodies publicly reprimanded the NBA, and preseason games in China were canceled. Ultimately, the world’s second-largest economy severed ties with the league in 2019.

Now, as the NBA returns to Macau, it strives to reconnect with its vast Chinese fan base.

“There’s no doubt that China has one of the largest fanbases in the world – hundreds of millions of fans in China, with 300 million people playing basketball in China – and our mission is to inspire and connect people everywhere through the game of basketball,” said the NBA Deputy Commissioner.