As the 2026 NBA Playoffs dominate screens, streaming platforms and social conversations worldwide, the sports industry is witnessing a major shift: Fans now expect personalized, always-on experiences that extend far beyond the live game itself.

At NAB Show, the session “NBA League Pass: D2C Fan Engagement & The Future with AI” explored how the NBA has become a global benchmark for direct-to-consumer innovation. Central to that evolution is the league’s partnership with Evergent Technologies, which began in 2022 to help scale NBA League Pass internationally through advanced subscriber lifecycle management, cross-platform accessibility and personalization capabilities. The partnership recently deepened with a strategic NBA investment in Evergent, reinforcing a shared commitment to delivering tailored fan experiences worldwide.

“A lot of sports leagues and teams distributed their content through cable networks in the past, and now they have the opportunity to go direct to consumer,” said Evergent founder and CEO Vijay Sajja. “That’s enabling them to go global … live sports is different. It’s a digital stadium.”

But building that digital stadium on a global scale comes with growing complexity. NBA EVP of media operations and technology Ken DeGennaro pointed to the challenge of navigating region-by-region regulations, customer engagement requirements and evolving monetization models across international markets.

Together, the conversation underscored a defining shift in sports media: Success is no longer measured only by viewership, but by how effectively leagues can personalize experiences, reduce friction and use AI-driven insights to deepen fan loyalty worldwide.