Early Monday morning, just before Media Day began, the Brooklyn Nets announced a “jersey patch” deal with Alibaba, the Chinese e-commerce giant headed, of course, by Joe Tsai…
This deal differed substantially from other patch deals, which have gone for as much as eight figures per season. In the past, companies both big and small paid the freight to get the recognition that comes with every TV close-up of a Nets player at the free throw line, his jersey adorned with a corporate logo. There was Motorola, the big cellphone manufacturer, and All-In-One, a New York-based medical billing and IT company owned by a Nets season ticket holder. They also contracted with WeBull, an online brokerage, and Get Your Guide, a tourism company … in other words an eclectic group.
The Alibaba patch is simple, the company’s name spelled out in the company typeface on the left breast of the jersey opposite the Nike swoosh, part of a separate apparel deal. Alibaba says it will use the patch to support the team’s 60th anniversary celebration, according to the press release. The celebration will be a year-long campaign honoring iconic players, defining moments and milestones across the franchise’s history.
But the patch deal between the two Tsai entities isn’t the only eye-opener in the deal. The Alibaba jersey patch is only one part of a much bigger and intriguing sports technology deal, as a follow-up press release to the tweet revealed.
Alibaba Group and Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment today announced a strategic multi-year partnership naming Alibaba an Official Technology and Cloud Partner of the Brooklyn Nets. The partnership pairs Alibaba’s cloud technology with the Brooklyn Nets’ live game replay, in-game entertainment and marketing initiatives, creating more immersive experiences for fans in the arena.
Cloud technology partner? Isn’t this A.I, although the press release doesn’t mention A.I? What’s going on here? Here’s how Toby Xu, Alibaba’s Chief Financial Officer, described it in the press release:
“Alibaba has long partnered with leading sports organizations worldwide, giving us a deep understanding of how to deliver technology at the scale and speed live sports demand,” Xu said. “We are excited to team up with the Brooklyn Nets to unlock new possibilities in sports innovation. As we head into the new season, we look forward to delivering immersive experiences for fans at Barclays Center and beyond.”
There it is: “immersive experiences,” the centerpiece of Alibaba’s foray into sports. As we reported back in May, Alibaba has worked with sports organizations around the world on such “immersive technology.” Indeed, in addition to its e-commerce business, A.I and Cloud innovations, Alibaba under Tsai has become a sports technology giant.
The company has been the official Cloud provider for the last four Olympiads and will have the same role in Los Angeles in a little less than two years. NBA China, UEFA, the European soccer federation, and amateur sports federations like World Aquatics have all bought in. For the big customers, “immersive technology” might be better described as “hyper-personalized,” a way to get beyond the passive experience of sitting in front of a TV set. As an example, four months back, Alibaba and the NBA announced NBA Chat in China. Built on Alibaba’s advanced Qwen A.I. model and NBA’s historical data, player analytics and other digital assets, NBA Chat delivers real-time, comprehensive game insights directly on mobile devices.
Fans can dive deep into their favourite players’ on-court performance — from detailed career statistics and live shooting percentages to full offensive and defensive breakdowns of ongoing or past games, and even team tactical strategies — all at their fingertips.
In their press release, Alibaba and Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment hinted about how the fan experience will be enhanced at Barclays Center but without much detail.
Beginning with the 2026-27 NBA season, Alibaba’s technology will power a Real-Time 360º Replay system at Barclays Center, bringing faster and more innovative replays. Through the in-arena “Nets Figure Lab,” fans will also be able to create personalized collectible cards using Alibaba’s technology.
Across the season, Alibaba and the Nets will use the partnership to test and scale innovative technology and marketing applications on and beyond game day, enhancing fan experiences while supporting the next chapter of Nets basketball. For the Nets, the collaboration represents an investment in the future of the franchise.
The “Nets Figure Lab” was not more fully described, but the “Real-Time 360º Replay system” is the core technology of the Alibaba Sports Technology initiative.
What might the technology look like? A year ago, when the Nets visited Macao as part of the NBA China tour, Alibaba showed off examples of their technology, like the brick, mortar and glass NBA House…
And there was a taste of the digital: game action on whatever screen fans prefer once the NBA games are broadcast in China this season…
Fans might ask isn’t this “Real-Time 360º Replay system” a bit of old hat? Haven’t we seen this on national TV games or even on YES Network? Things like 360 degree views, etc. have been a staple of sports programming for more than decade. The difference now is that the technology was exclusively the realm of directors sitting in front of banks of monitors in TV studios or in high-tech production trucks. Now the average fan will have it all right in front of them. Welcome to the age of hyper-personalized sports viewing, fan as director.
In short, think of cloud technology as the stadium where the game is being played and AI technology as the production team creating the full experience for the fans.
The Alibaba/BSE press release didn’t provide details, as we’ve noted, but the press release suggested the partnership will “test and scale innovative technology,” an indication that this is a work-in-progress. In fact, the ultimate end of the experiment is that fans will be able to create alternate endings, rejigger game flows, take events that occur and compare them to the opposite outcome and move on. Player impact and coaching decisions will get new scrutiny. In what form, at what level is something we will have wait on.
So it sounds like fun and the goal is no doubt making Barclays Center a sports technology hub … but like we said, this isn’t just about a jersey patch deal.
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