Amazon is planning on incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) as part of its predictive technology for broadcasts of NFL games this season.
Debuting this season will be Amazon Web Services’ (AWS) Tackle Probability model, which will predict, at any given moment of a play, the likelihood that a given defender will make a tackle, helping to quantify which defenders are the most reliable tacklers and which ball carriers are most elusive, the company said.
Tackle Probability can be used to calculate various metrics that can be applied to both offensive and defensive analysis, such as missed tackle attempts by a defender and missed tackles forced by a ball carrier.
Powered by AWS, the company’s Next Gen Stats platform says it collects more than 500 million data points each season.
“Through our collaboration with AWS, we are continuously pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in football,” said Gary Brantley, chief information officer at the NFL. “By harnessing the power of data and advanced technologies like generative AI, together we are accelerating the pace of innovation in important areas such as player safety, fan engagement and content production. This season we’ll see an increase in operational efficiency as we begin to leverage AWS’s generative AI capabilities at NFL Media.”
Amazon is one of several large tech companies that have invested billions into the NFL specifically and live sports programming more generally in recent years.
Other major media brands, such as ESPN, have teased plans to implement AI into leading programs and live broadcasts.
Amazon’s first “Thursday Night Football” broadcast of the season is this week, when the Miami Dolphins host the Buffalo Bills in prime time.
