The latest dive into alternate broadcasts comes from TNT Sports’ coverage of the NBA’s Emirates Cup in-season tournament.
The company will have broadcasts of at least three games in the knockout round: a quarterfinal doubleheader on Tuesday, Dec. 10, then the first of two semifinals on Saturday, Dec. 14. (They may also have a third quarterfinal on Wednesday, Dec. 11, but that’s dependent on the results of Tuesday’s games.)
TNT Sports announced Tuesday that in addition to the primary game broadcasts on TNT, they’ll also offer an NBA 2K25 DataCast for each of the games they’re broadcasting. That alternate broadcast will be available on truTV (fitting into the wider sports plans there) and Max (with the B/R Sports add-on). Here’s more on that from a release:
Continuing its commitment to innovation and elevating the biggest moments on the basketball calendar, TNT Sports — in collaboration with NBA 2K and Genius Sports — will offer an immersive NBA 2K25 DataCast viewing experience on truTV and Max.
This alternative telecast will be available during all of TNT Sports’ 2024 Emirates NBA Cup Quarterfinals and Semifinal live game coverage and will blur the lines between the video game and the real NBA experience.
Viewers will see NBA 2K25 overlays such as the iconic Shot Meter, 2K Badges, official 2K camera angles and more, with split-second game insights powered by Genius Sports’ GeniusIQ — including player tracking, shot probability, and shot distance — embedded throughout the telecasts. The first-of-its-kind alternative viewing experience will feature contributions from Vince Carter, Candace Parker, Channing Frye, Adam Lefkoe, Kirk Goldsberry, and others.
Fans that tune into all NBA 2K25 DataCast broadcasts will also have the opportunity to redeem six total NBA 2K25 Locker Codes* each unlocking an Amethyst MyTEAM pack, allowing players to choose one of 11 NBA superstars to build the ultimate MyTEAM lineup.
There have been lots of data–focused alternate broadcasts from various networks in various sports over the years, but an interesting change here comes from the video game angle. We’ve seen a lot of animation-focused broadcasts from TNT Sports and many others, but video game incorporation feels different (although Peacock has a Madden-themed NFL altcast coming up later this month). However, video games are a huge part of the sports landscape at the moment, including the NBA2K series. It’s interesting to see TNT Sports embracing that, and working with prominent companies Genius and Take-Two Interactive (parent of the 2K group) to do so. We’ll see how this works out for them.
