Amazon’s new NBA on Prime headquarters pushes far beyond the conventions of your average broadcast studio. As one of the largest and most technologically advanced sports sets in the U.S., the NBA House pairs sleek, LED-forward architecture with tactile scenic elements and a versatile lighting rig. The result is a hybrid environment—part immersive volume, part human-centered space—that reflects the next generation of sports broadcasting.

Because the LED volume allows basketball storytelling to play out live on nearly any surface of the Culver City studio, a thoughtful lighting approach was essential. More than 2,300 LED tiles wrap the room, from the volume to the floor to embedded scenic displays, creating a digital canvas. Instead of overwhelming, lighting became the anchor that shaped mood, depth, and realism across the 13,000-square-foot, two-level studio, capable of transitioning seamlessly between analysis, live demonstrations, and the warmer, more intimate postgame lounge.

To shape the look of such an ambitious space, Prime Video turned to Lighting Designer David Thibodeau, who partnered with Airtime Lighting and PRG to deliver a lighting system capable of handling immersive LED environments, complex shooting angles, and multiple simultaneous show modes. “The first priority was faces—it’s a TV show at the end of the day,” Thibodeau says. “But once we had that foundation, the challenge became creating a world that feels lived-in, not like a brightly lit sports desk.”

Working from early sketches, scenic design from Andre Durette of Jack Morton, and input from director David Faller, Thibodeau built a lighting strategy that could transition from crisp broadcast looks to the warm, intimate atmosphere of the downstairs lounge where NBA Nightcap takes place. In that space, Thibodeau deliberately rejects the evenly lit talk-show look. Instead, he leans into modeling and off-axis light so analysts can watch a game on the monitor without getting blasted in the eyes. It feels part sports show, part upscale speakeasy.

Achieving that range required a disciplined palette of fixtures and a thoughtful approach to placement—especially in the tightest parts of the build. PRG organized the sale of the rig, including a fleet of VL2600s used as both key lights and scenic tools, ETC Lustr and ETC HD units for precision facial lighting and rich scenic color, and GLP X5s to tone the room and floor. But some of the most intentional decisions happened in the smallest spaces: GLP Atoms were tucked into architectural nooks where the ceiling dropped too low for anything larger, and more than 100 ETC Mini fixtures were hidden within the lounge’s roughly nine inches of available ceiling space.

The goal was controlled beams—not “loose lumens bouncing all over the place”—to keep the lounge intimate without washing out its warm materials. LED tape was embedded across nearly every surface, allowing the environment to shift through the studio’s three signature looks—Dusk, Night, and Nightcap—while staying cohesive on camera. The space feels expansive on screen yet intentionally human in person, with lighting that supports both high-energy broadcast and the casual, conversational tone Amazon wanted viewers to experience.

The studio’s lighting system was also built for a life beyond NBA coverage. As Amazon expands its live sports and entertainment footprint, the space now doubles as a home for crossovers like Thursday Night Football, WNBA coverage, NASCAR segments, Amazon Music shoots, and even commercial work. Thibodeau designed the rig with that versatility in mind: fixed units for predictable setups and strategically placed automated fixtures to cover whatever new format arrives next. Producers can walk in, turn off the key lights for a cinematic interview, or reconfigure the floor for a music segment without bringing in additional gear.

Walking into the space for the first time, Thibodeau remembers one thing above all: the sheer scale. “You step in and realize just how big this playground really is,” he says. Creating a lighting system for a studio of that size—and one expected to evolve over the next decade—required a partner familiar with long-form broadcast environments. Thibodeau has worked with PRG across numerous tv shows, special events and studio builds, often working with Tony Ward and Travis Snyder. This collaboration dates back to his years with Full Flood, a history that made the choice straightforward when Amazon asked about preferred vendors. “It wasn’t even a hesitation—PRG. I trust them completely, and they take care of everything that needs to be done,” Thibodeau says.

The Team

Jeff Gregson
Tiffany Keys
Wesley Hunt
Jay Koch
Jordan Cruiel ( LJ)
Annaliese Fortin
James Beaghan
Calvin Duupleasis
Cesar Lopez
Henry Rodriguez
William Thibodeau
Brent Petzoldt
Eric Hansen
Curtis Failor

Amazon Team

David Faller
Anthony Violanto
Matt Tapper
Mel Ribeiro