AT&T to carry 118 live streams per game under new NBA arena deal

AT&T will carry more than 118 concurrent low-latency streams per game for the NBA and WNBA, under the fourth generation of the leagues' High-Speed Arena Network (HSAN).

The operator announced the build alongside a multi-year extension of its marketing partnership with both leagues. AT&T keeps its title as Official Connectivity Partner, a role it has held since 2018. The extension also covers the NBA G League, USA Basketball and NBA Take-Two Media.

How big is the network?

The new HSAN generation will run across more than 68,000 miles of AT&T fibre and network infrastructure. That distance is roughly two and a half times the circumference of the Earth, put into scale for network planners.

The platform is specified to support millions of hours of basketball consumption during the 2027-28 NBA season. It will transport live game content, highlights, replays, in-arena programming and statistics to fans and business partners.

What did AT&T say?

AT&T chief marketing and growth officer Kellyn Smith Kenny framed the deal around changing viewing habits. She said fans consume basketball across live broadcasts, replays, highlights, social media and NBA digital platforms.

Kenny added the companies were building the connectivity needed to distribute game content quickly and reliably, helping viewers stay connected to key moments wherever they watch.

For practitioners, the significance is straightforward. Arena content production is shifting from single broadcast feeds to distributed, multi-platform delivery. A network engineered for 118 simultaneous streams per game reflects that load profile, not a traditional linear model.

What else does the partnership cover?

The commercial package extends beyond connectivity. AT&T and the NBA will create new fan touchpoints through content and retail activations. Fans get more opportunities to engage with NBA stars and AT&T-backed athletes.

The operator also continues team-level partnerships with four NBA franchises:

• Chicago Bulls
• Dallas Mavericks
• Miami Heat
• LA Clippers

These club deals sit under the wider league agreement and give AT&T regional activation rights alongside its national platform role.

What changes for the market?

The deal separates two distinct commitments. The engineering contract, HSAN's fourth generation, is a measurable infrastructure build with a stated capacity figure and a target season. The marketing extension is a sponsorship arrangement whose value the parties did not disclose.

Sports venues have become showcase accounts for carrier fibre businesses. Arena deals let operators demonstrate high-throughput, low-latency delivery in front of mass audiences, work that supports broader enterprise networking pitches.

The timeline is concrete. HSAN's fourth generation is specified for full operation in time for the 2027-28 NBA season, giving AT&T roughly three years to scale the platform from its existing fibre footprint.