The NBA has struck a partnership with Israel-based WSC Sports Technologies to create auto-generated digital video highlights around the world.
The league will use WSC Sports Technologies’ AVGen and Clipro cloud-based video creation and editing platforms, which tag plays such as dunks, 3-point shots and blocks in real time and then automatically compile highlight packages based on predetermined preferences. The NBA has already put more than 600 customizations into the system this season.
Video clips are then ready for distribution just a few minutes after a play occurs, and can be even used during games and distributed over social media to help drive game tune-in or purchase of the NBA League Pass digital video subscription product.
The NBA-WSC Sports Technologies alignment arrives after a trial use of the platform for the NBA D-League during the 2014-15 season.
The technology will be particularly used for international purposes, such as creating country-specific clips featuring players from a particular territory on each of the league’s 18 international Web destinations. NBA Digital, the partnership between the league and Turner Sports that operates NBA.com and the NBA mobile application, is also evaluating a domestic use of WSC Sports Technologies’ platform. More than half of the NBA’s individual teams are additionally using the system for their own localized needs, such as their official team sites and team social media channels.
“Our demand for more video content is skyrocketing, and this system allows us to not only meet that demand in a much more efficient way, but also create the kind of tailored content that really resonates with our fans,” said Mike Allen, NBA senior vice president of digital products and emerging technology.
Financial terms for the partnership were not disclosed. The agreement will also apply to use for WNBA content on WNBA.com.
Through the use of WSC Sports Technologies’ platform, the NBA’s output of highlight clips has moved from one or two a game two seasons ago to often more than a dozen a game.
“We meet with lots of startups all the time, and many of them don’t necessarily move the needle all that much. But this one we really saw as truly game-changing,” said Bob Carney, NBA senior director of product development and emerging technology.
WSC Sports Technologies has worked with the Big East Conference and British Telecom on similar projects, and counts Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert among its investors.
“This deal with the NBA is a big move for us to operate on a truly global scale,” said Daniel Shichman, WSC Sports Technologies chief executive.
