Live NBA games are heading to NBC’s Peacock streaming service in the US this year and the broadcaster has some pretty unique innovations planned.
The new Performance View that’ll be available on Peacock for live games from next season (which starts next October) will blend the real world action with the graphics we’ve expected from video games.
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Viewers watching next year will see a flaming basketball for a player on a hot streak during games, for example, which is reminiscent of the beloved 16-bit video game NBA Jam. All that’s missing is the “he’s on fire!” on commentary, but
Furthermore, there’s a little NBA 2K in there for good measure too that offer overlay graphics featuring shooting percentages, live stats for the player in possession and advanced stats like shot success probability depending on player and court position, and the players names.
It’s a very video game-esque presentation that NBC hopes will bring younger viewers to the table. As with the broadcaster’s coverage of the Premier League, viewers will be able to catch up with key plays.
Peacock is also planning to gamify the experience with a new ScoreCard predictions feature for TV and mobile devices, which it describes as “bingo meets fantasy” (via AdWeek).
You’ll be able to predict player stats like “30-points for Jimmy Butler” or “5+ blocks for Nicola Jokic” and earn points and climb leaderboards if they pan out. It seems like a fun way to boost engagement in live games for less ardent ballers.
Users could compete with friends, but it would’t be surprising if this eventually became linked to a gambling company like Draft Kings or something, but for now it’ll be just for fun.
Viewers will also be able to dive into live games and see some player stats directly from the home page.
Opinion
I absolutely love this idea. NBA Jam holds a really special place in my heart. It’s probably my favourite game of the 16-bit era and it still stands up today.
This, the advanced stats and the ability to make friendly predictions, will add some flair to the broadcasts for viewers who’ve been turned off by NBA broadcasts on ESPN and TNT.
