Axios

After broadcasting games inside the NBA bubble, ESPN's production team jumped almost immediately into preparing for the 2020-21 season.

The state of play: While some games feature on-site announcers and production trucks, others require ESPN to produce the broadcast from hundreds of miles away. They call this the "Enhanced World Feed" (EWF) model.

The National Basketball Association is opening the door a little wider for private equity funds, which to date have been largely excluded from investing in its franchises.

Driving the news: The league's board of governors has approved a framework whereby a PE fund could own up to 20% in a single franchise, and stakes in up to five franchises, as first reported by Sportico and confirmed by Axios.

The Heat will use coronavirus-sniffing dogs to screen fans ahead of tonight's game at AmericanAirlines Arena, when ~1,500 season ticket holders will be permitted inside for the first time this season.

Why it matters: The Heat are the first NBA team to try this approach, which has been used at airports in Chile, Finland and the United Arab Emirates.

Tonight's NBA doubleheader will be broadcast on TNT, which means the network will almost certainly draw more viewers than its competitors throughout the evening.

Yes, but: While the battle for the "first screen" (broadcast) has already been won, the battle for the "second screen" (social media) will happen in real-time.

Amanda Gorman, the country's first National Youth Poet Laureate who won widespread praise at President Biden's inauguration, will recite another original poem before Super Bowl LV in Tampa, Florida, the NFL announced Wednesday.

Why it matters: The 22-year-old will on Feb. 7 become the first poet to perform at one of the year's most-watched TV events. Her poem "will recognize three honorary game captains" who've served during the pandemic, who'll take part in the game's coin toss: Los Angeles educator Trimaine Davis, Tampa nurse manager Suzie Dorner and Pittsburgh-area veteran James Martin, per the NFL.

Go deeper: Amanda Gorman steals the show on Inauguration Day