Amazon is gearing up for their first year of NBA coverage, complete with a state of the art, 13,000-square-foot studio.
Basketball legends and fans alike were in attendance on Tuesday, Oct. 14 as the space–located at Amazon MGM Studios in Culver City, CA–was revealed. BOSSIP was in the building as big names like Dwyane Wade, Candace Parker, Taylor Rooks, and more took in the sights at the new facility.
The massive two-story studio has over 2,300 LED screens, 22 cameras, and a regulation half-court basketball floor—all designed to bring viewers closer to the game than ever before, per Amazon.
Each level of the studio serves a specific purpose: The upper mezzanine level hosts the main desk where the pregame show will originate, offering a similar vantage point to what viewers might see from broadcast booths at NBA arenas. Taylor Rooks is set to host for NBA on Prime, in addition to studio analysts like Dirk Nowitzki, Blake Griffin, Steve Nash, and Udonis Haslem, who were all in attendance at the unveiling.
The basketball court isn’t just for show, providing a space where analysts can actually demonstrate plays and concepts. Haslem did just that during the very-first demonstration on Wednesday night, enlisting the help of the ballers in attendance to show some of what the studio is capable of.
Amazon also showed off some of the other exciting opportunities that come with the new NBA on Prime partnership, including exclusive merch that’s set to make it’s way to the site once the season starts. BOSSIP got to shop around the market at the unveiling, which included Funko Pops, exclusive NBA on Prime merch, Jimmy Butler’s Big Face Coffee, and Dwyane Wade’s wine, Wade Cellars.
In addition to appearing in the shop, Wade also made his way over to the bar, where he served attendees their choice of wine. When we asked him his preference between white and red, he declined to answer, giving a decisive, “both!” multiple times. A true salesman!
NBA on Prime kicks off next week, broadcasting the Boston Celtics at New York Knicks and the Minnesota Timberwolves at Los Angeles Lakers on Oct. 24. Tune into their coverage this season on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays on Prime Video.