AT&T, NBA, and WNBA Launch Fourth-Generation High-Speed Arena Network Under Multi-Year Sponsorship Extension

The National Basketball Association (NBA), Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA), and telecommunications leader AT&T have announced a marketing partnership extension alongside the deployment of the fourth-generation High-Speed Arena Network (HSAN).

The infrastructure upgrade establishes an advanced connectivity backbone across league arenas, production facilities, and distribution partners to streamline live game broadcast feeds, real-time statistical tracking, replay distribution, and fan-facing digital services.

Supported by over 68,000 miles of AT&T fiber optic network infrastructure, the fourth-generation HSAN is engineered to transport more than 118 concurrent, low-latency, high-definition streams per game.

Designed to meet escalating bandwidth demands across live broadcasts, social media platforms, and direct-to-consumer digital channels, the network will support millions of hours of basketball consumption starting ahead of the 2027–28 NBA season.

Emphasising the role of fiber connectivity in modern sports media ecosystems, chief marketing and growth officer at AT&T, Kellyn Smith Kenny, said: “Today’s fans follow the game across live broadcasts, replays, highlights, social media and NBA digital platforms.”

“Together with the NBA, AT&T is helping build the connectivity foundation that moves game content quickly and reliably across the league, so fans can stay closer to the moments that matter wherever they are watching,” Smith Kenny said. 

Highlighting the technical capabilities enabled by the partnership, EVP of global marketing partnerships and media at the NBA, Kerry Tatlock, added: “For nearly a decade, AT&T has helped us connect with fans in new and innovative ways, and we’re excited to expand our partnership to leverage their next-generation network for HSAN to deepen that connection.”

“Together, we look forward to building experiences that bring fans closer to the NBA in ways that are personalized and customized for each fan,” Tatlock said.

Underscoring the commercial and operational impact on women’s basketball, chief growth officer at the WNBA, Colie Edison, noted:  “AT&T has been an integral partner in the WNBA’s growth, helping us reach new fans and elevate the experience for our players, teams, and communities.”

“As our inaugural WNBA Changemaker, we look forward to continuing our work together to drive innovation, visibility, and opportunity for the next generation of players and fans,” Edison said. 

Extended Commercial Marketing Rights and Activation Strategy

The agreement extends AT&T’s designation as the Official Connectivity Partner of the NBA and WNBA, a relationship established in 2018, while continuing marketing rights across the NBA G League, USA Basketball, and NBA Take-Two Media.

As part of the commercial arrangement, AT&T maintains its foundational presence across several flagship league assets:

• WNBA Changemaker & Jersey Patch Integration: Retains prominent brand placement across all WNBA team jerseys, alongside title entitlement rights for the annual WNBA All-Star event.
• Marquee Event Entitlements: Continues title sponsorship of the AT&T Slam Dunk competition during NBA All-Star Weekend, alongside expanded on-court apron branding during nationally televised regular-season broadcasts.
• In-Arena Consumer Connectivity: Expands Turbo Live by AT&T to select NBA venues, granting prioritized network capacity to arena attendees across mobile carriers.
• Franchise Partnerships & Athlete Endorsements: Maintains team-level partnerships with the Chicago Bulls, Dallas Mavericks, Miami Heat, and LA Clippers, while leveraging individual endorsement deals with NBA Champion Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and WNBA MVPs A’ja Wilson and Sabrina Ionescu for national retail and marketing activations.

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