Amazon teases NBA broadcast studio for ‘NBA on Prime’

Blake Griffin won’t just be talking about basketball moves when “NBA on Prime” coverage launches this month, he’ll be able to demonstrate them on an actual basketball court inside the broadcast studio.

Amazon Prime Video has constructed a 13,000-square-foot, two-story facility at Amazon MGM Studios in Culver City, California, where a regulation half-court with LED-embedded floors sits alongside traditional broadcast desks.

Common, Karriem Riggins and James Poyser compose ‘NBA on Prime’ theme music

The space contains more than 2,300 LED tiles, with approximately 3 billion pixels, that can transform the environment from a Brooklyn Nets home court to a data visualization center within seconds.

The functional half-court will give analysts room to run plays, demonstrate defensive schemes or theoretically stage a dunk contest during broadcasts, similar to the pre-game atmosphere of TNT’s “Inside the NBA.” 

“The studio isn’t just big for the sake of being big. Every inch has been meticulously planned to create what the team calls an ‘NBA House’ — a comfortable, casual environment where analysts can break down the game in a setting that feels less like a traditional studio and more like an upscale basketball hangout,” noted Amazon on its About Amazon blog. 

The facility’s upper mezzanine houses the main broadcast desk where host Taylor Rooks and analysts, including Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash and Udonis Haslem, will present pre-game coverage. The positioning mimics sightlines from arena broadcast booths.

Below, the ground level includes a lounge setting with couches and chairs for “NBA Nightcap,” the hour-long post-game show. 

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The studio includes 22 cameras, including 10 cinematic-style broadcast cameras with large sensors designed for shallow depth of field. Additional cameras behind the basket and on the court enable 360-degree coverage when analysts demonstrate plays.

All content will be captured in HDR and 1080p resolution.

The facility can receive direct feeds from Prime Video’s arena camera systems, including drones and high frame-rate super slow-motion cameras, allowing seamless integration between live game footage and studio analysis.

While originally designed for “NBA on Prime,” including key on-set branding, the studio may also be used for “Thursday Night Football” segments, WNBA coverage starting in 2026, NASCAR and other Amazon Prime Video sports properties.

The studio debuts when Prime Video begins its 11-year NBA global media rights agreement. The opening doubleheader features Boston Celtics at New York Knicks (7:30 p.m. ET) and Minnesota Timberwolves at Los Angeles Lakers (10:00 p.m. ET).

Programming includes “The Crossover,” which bridges doubleheaders, and “NBA Nightcap,” which provides postgame analysis.

Prime Video’s package encompasses 67 regular-season games, a Black Friday doubleheader, Emirates NBA Cup Knockout Rounds, exclusive Berlin and London games, SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament coverage and select playoff games.

Photos courtesy of Amazon