Basketball continues to bring people together across cultures, languages, and generations, and Latino fans are an important part of that community. As the NBA expands its reach through Prime Video, there’s an opportunity to connect with an audience that has its own relationship with the game, from following players to watching and discussing basketball in English, Spanish, Portuguese, and more. With NBA on Prime entering its second season, we’re learning more about how the platform plans to reach these fans and what that connection looks like beyond the game itself.
On October 13, Prime Video brought media, executives, and on-air talent to New York City for an international presentation and panel to offer conversations and insights into the platform’s plans for the upcoming season, including its growing international footprint. After reaching audiences in more than 220 countries and territories during its inaugural season, NBA on Prime is continuing to expand, with Canada joining its coverage for the 2026–27 season.
The connection between basketball and culture was also explored through The Art of Basketball, a one-night-only exhibition held at Storied NYC. Curated by Easy Otabor and Danny Baez, the exhibition featured works from more than 15 contemporary artists across painting, sculpture, photography, textiles, mixed media, and light installations. Each artist brought a personal perspective to the game, drawing from their experiences, cultural backgrounds and relationships with basketball. The evening also brought together basketball legends, including Blake Griffin, Dirk Nowitzki, Steve Nash, Udonis Haslem and John Wall, alongside NBA on Prime talent and special guests.
Remezcla sat down with Gustavo Coelho, Álvaro Martín and Greivis Vásquez to discuss the platform’s approach to international audiences and its relationship with Latino basketball fans. Their perspectives offered an opportunity to look at the experience from different angles, including the business behind the coverage, Spanish-language broadcasting, and the perspective of someone who has played at the highest level of the sport.
So, what does NBA on Prime want Latino fans to take away from its second season? How can the platform keep building an experience that reflects the different ways this community follows and connects with basketball? These are some of the questions explored in our conversations.
“We understand the size of the opportunity that we have with the Hispanic audience here in the United States. And we’ve been working with Latino audiences for a while in Latin America in general. So we built coverage in Brazil, then in Mexico, and we use this as the basis for our US Hispanic coverage as well. We try to have different voices from different regions in Latin America to provide different perspectives and ways of watching the games,” shares Prime Video Sports LATAM Lead, Gustavo Coelho. “We just announced Greivis Vásquez, for example, a former NBA player from Venezuela who will be joining our commentary booth next season. We’re really excited because we know how passionate our fans are about basketball, and this is a spot that resonates with the Hispanic community. And we believe we have so much to build, so much to deliver to these fans across this long-term deal that the NBA has with Prime Video.”
That international growth also shows up in its Latin American audience. Prime Video reported an 80% increase in viewership across Latin America during its first season, highlighting the region’s growing engagement with NBA coverage. But reaching fans is about more than making games available. Voices, storytelling, and the overall viewing experience also shape how audiences connect with the sport. As mentioned, Venezuelan and former basketball player Greivis Vásquez has joined for the second season to contribute even more to what Latino fans love to hear and see in NBA commentary.
“Covering the NBA matters to us as Latinos because so much basketball is played in Latin America. Venezuela, for instance, is among the top twenty national teams in the world; Argentina is in the top ten; and Brazil is also a major player. Basketball has also developed in Chile and Ecuador—in fact, it has grown throughout all of Latin America. Mexico, too, has become a basketball powerhouse today,” former point guard for the Toronto Raptors Greivis Vásquez expresses. “So, covering the best league in the world inspires our people and encourages them to dream. That is why—and I emphasize this because of our Latin culture—it is so significant. And that is why, for me, it is an honor to do this through Prime.”
With many other platforms and AI offering easier access to stats, commentary, and anything an NBA fan needs, it raises the question: why do fans need commentary from a host? Puerto Rican sports commentator Álvaro Martín says that in an AI world, it’s always best to get human commentary, especially in Spanish.
“Nowadays, even artificial intelligence-powered broadcasts take an English-language feed and translate it into Spanish in real time. But I’ve listened to them, and they lack that special “flavor” of cultural nuance. You know exactly what I mean. Without that, it’s just not the same,”Martín breaks down. “It’s like eating a *churrasco* (steak) without *chimichurri* or salt—it simply doesn’t taste the same. That element is crucial, and thank goodness artificial intelligence still can’t replicate it.”
As NBA on Prime enters its second season, the opportunity is to build on that connection and show fans there’s room for their voices, cultures, and perspectives in the game. Because while basketball may be universal, how we experience it is deeply personal.
The 2026-27 lineup inlcudes 67 NBA regular-season and Emirates NBA Cup games, along with exclusive coverage of the NBA Play-In Tournament and the Eastern Conference Finals. Fan can also follow the action beyond the game with pregame, halftime, and postgame programming. NBA on Prime is available on the Prime Video app and compatible streaming devices.