NBA and AT&T switch on a fourth-generation arena network built for 118 streams a game

The NBA, the WNBA and AT&T have switched on a fourth version of their High-Speed Arena Network, the fiber system that carries live game feeds, replays and stats out of every arena, and extended the carrier’s run as the leagues’ Official Connectivity Partner, the three sides announced on Monday, October 19.

Most fans never see this network, but almost everything they watch passes through it. Broadcast feeds, highlights, in-arena programming and the stats behind box scores all travel on it, as does the technology the league uses to run games behind the scenes. Its capacity sets how many streams the league can push out of a building at once.

What the new network does

The league said the upgraded network rides on more than 68,000 miles of AT&T fiber and infrastructure. It is built to move more than 118 high-quality, low-latency streams at the same time from each game, a target the league attached to the 2027-28 season, when it expects the system to carry millions of hours of viewing.

That kind of headroom matters as the NBA multiplies its feeds: alternate broadcasts, multiview packages on League Pass, creator highlight access and the app features the league unveiled the same day all need more angles and more data delivered quickly.

The partnership behind it

AT&T has been the connectivity partner since 2018, and the new deal also covers USA Basketball, NBA Take-Two Media and the G League. The company keeps its title sponsorship of the AT&T Slam Dunk at All-Star, which dates to 2019, and the on-court apron branding that first appeared during national regular-season broadcasts in 2025-26. It also continues Turbo Live, which gives fans at select arenas priority on its network whichever carrier they use.

New fan content and retail activations start around opening week, with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander among the featured players. The two-time MVP said his work with the company is about “new ways for fans to connect with the game.” AT&T’s separate team deals with the Miami Heat, LA Clippers, Chicago Bulls and Dallas Mavericks continue.

On the WNBA side, AT&T stays on every team jersey as a league Changemaker, remains the entitlement partner of WNBA All-Star and keeps its deals with A’ja Wilson and Sabrina Ionescu. The announcement did not disclose the length or value of the extension.

What comes next

The network gets its first regular-season test on Tuesday, October 20, when the Boston Celtics visit the Detroit Pistons at 3 p.m. ET (Game Center). Gilgeous-Alexander’s Oklahoma City Thunder close opening night at the San Antonio Spurs (Game Center).