EARLIER: ‘CourtVision’ Review: We tested Steve Ballmer’s attempt to transform the NBA viewing experience
Like a lot of video-oriented startups, Second Spectrum has been using AWS Elemental for cloud-based video processing and delivery, according to a press release. The CourtVision service will also use other AWS services to collect and analyze data such as a player’s movement on the court, or to assess the probability of a sweet jumper from Lou Williams hitting the bottom of the net.
A screenshot from Clippers CourtVision, with real-time stats showing the probability of players making an open shot. (Credit: L.A. Clippers)
In an interview with Bloomberg, Ballmer acknowledged the elephant in the room. “Do I bleed Microsoft? Of course I bleed Microsoft. But Amazon has done a nice job,” he said.
AWS enjoys a big lead in the market for cloud computing services but Microsoft has emerged as a strong second-place player over the last few years as the overall market continues to grow by large margins. Ballmer is still one of the largest shareholder in Microsoft, of course, so the decision-making process must have been a little weird for him. During his tenure as CEO, Microsoft created Azure and began shifting Office customers over to the Office 365 software-as-a-service
