How the NBA dominates pro sports

How has the National Basketball Association managed to score its highest ratings, strengthen its brand globally, and create more buzz amongst its fans than any other North American sport? In a word, technology.

That is what commissioner David Stern said speaking on a panel at Fortune's Brainstorm Tech conference in Aspen, Colorado. Exhibit A: Stern issued a call to developers who could create technology that tracks a basketball at its highest trajectory, so referees would know when a ball deflected by opponents resulted in goaltending -- and an automatic two points for the shooting team. It's a trend that many professional leagues are following. After this year's soccer European championship, FIFA -- the sport's international governing body -- announced it would implement technology that would strengthen the accuracy of awarding goals.