As AI tools have become more refined, developers are finding more ways to make use of these new, cutting-edge tools. One area where generative AI models have shown significant promise is in the world of sports. While AI tools have been helping athletes train for years, a couple of upcoming ones are also helping fans around the globe get the most out of their viewing experience.
On that note, recently the NBA has begun experimenting with AI tools aimed at providing viewers the world over with unprecedented access to real-time highlights and narration in their native language, even if the NBA doesn’t officially provide coverage in that language.
This is particularly important to the NBA, which is by far the most popular American sports league outside of the US.
By providing real-time commentary and highlight replays in whatever language the viewer prefers, the NBA finds itself uniquely poised to capture a truly massive share of the global market.
AI Narration: Behind the Scenes
Modern generative AI models are changing the way fans interact with the game. By taking full advantage of advanced AI tools, broadcasters can create in-depth recaps of entire games or simply provide commentary for the most exciting highlights. When these analysis and scripting tools are paired with text-to-speech software, the generated scripts are read aloud with natural emotion and pacing. The real win here for fans, though, is that these scripts can be translated in real-time into almost any language, finally allowing fans to experience the game the way it was meant to be watched
But AI software in basketball goes further than providing a commentary piece. The most important thing to remember about these AI tools is that they aren't just used for writing scripts. On top of that, these tools are actively syncing up with the action in real time, meaning that AI can automatically line up its narration with official video sources, calling out big plays as they happen.
The best part of all of this, though, is just how instant all of this is. Game data like scores, stats, and even player movements can be fed into generative AI models as the game unfolds, meaning that fans can get narrated summaries or multilingual updates just minutes after the final buzzer.
The NBA and Globalization
Among the major US sports, the NBA has, by far, the largest international audience. In fact, as much as 75% of NBA viewers are outside the United States, and these passionate fans crave culturally relevant content. While official broadcasts of NBA games are fairly normal in countries with large populations or who speak a common language
(Spanish, French, German, etc.), many smaller nations or minority language communities simply don’t have access to real-time narration. While that’s less important on TV, many fans still catch their games on the radio or audio streaming online.
The broadcasters in these regions simply do not have the resources to create recaps, narrations, or highlight videos for potentially dozens of languages. India, for example, has 22 official languages, 122 “major” languages, and up to 1,000 smaller dialects.
Even a major global broadcaster would find it impossible to cater to every one of these languages, particularly when the majority of them are spoken by fewer than 10,000 people. Modern AI tools can help to fill this gap with cost-effective, scalable, 24/7 narration.
Localization vs Subtitles
While translated subtitles have been a thing for decades, plain text on screen has two major drawbacks. For one, captioning often occupies a large portion of the screen and can obscure the action. However, the biggest issue with subtitles is that they are completely incapable of conveying subtle nuances such as tone, slang, or pacing.
With the massive gains made in text-to-speech models in recent years, AI-generated narrators are almost indistinguishable from their human counterparts and can deliver their lines with the full range of human emotions, drawing on local terms, idioms, and cultural norms to create a genuinely localized broadcast
Not only does this increase access to the broadcasts, which will encourage new fans to get on board, but new and old fans alike are more likely to show team loyalty when they feel they have some sort of connection to the team, players, league, and even narrators.
The Human Touch (Correction)
As robust and sophisticated as generative AI models have become, they still aren’t perfect, and AI narrators can struggle with pronunciation, emotion, and rapidly changing game dynamics. This is particularly true with very small languages where adequate datasets for training the AI simply aren’t available.
Over the coming years, the role of the sports commentator will evolve greatly as these AI tools become better and more sophisticated. While many smaller markets may become fully reliant on AI commentators, broadcasters in larger countries like the US and Canada aren’t likely to get rid of humans anytime soon. Instead, commentator jobs will evolve, with commentators using AI to assist, not replace, them. It’s important to remember that the NBA is extremely image-conscious and quality control of their broadcasts is paramount, especially during big moments or close games.
Courtside Access for Global Audiences
By rolling out these AI narration tools, the NBA is opening its doors like never before to fans the world over. These fast, accurate, and emotionally engaging recaps in multiple languages make the sport more accessible to millions of new potential fans who may have previously avoided foreign-language broadcasts.
As generative AI models continue to evolve, they won’t be limited solely to translation. Instead, these programs will personalize their coverage for each market or even individuals. In the near future, fans may begin receiving highlight reels that focus on their favorite players or teams, custom tailored to their interests and delivered instantly.
For basketball lovers, AI isn’t replacing the game, it’s bringing it closer to home. Whether you're in New York, Manila, or Prague, the NBA is starting to sound a little more like home.