An international survey conducted by IBM in the summer of 2025 paints a clear picture: fans no longer want to simply consume sports; they want to feel it, analyze it, and immerse themselves in it. They aspire to an experience that unfolds before, during, and after the game—an experience shaped by artificial intelligence. With more than 20,000 fans surveyed across 12 countries, the study confirms the scale of the phenomenon: 85% of respondents see direct value in integrating AI into their sports experiences, and 63% say they trust AI-generated content1. Sports are becoming an ongoing conversation, an experience unfolding across multiple screens, multiple timeframes, and multiple emotions. In this data-saturated world, fans no longer want to wait until the end of the game to understand what they’re watching; they want an instant analysis, tailored to their preferences, and dynamic enough to keep up with their pace.
AI is becoming the new language of modern fandom
What the IBM study reveals is a profound cultural shift. Fans now view AI as an essential facilitator of their relationship with sports—an emotional and technical interpreter that allows them to grasp what’s happening beyond the raw footage. Among their top priorities, two stand out: real-time updates (35%) and personalized content (30%). This quest for immediacy reflects a transformed relationship with the game, where the modern fan juggles between their TV, smartphone, and social media. It also reflects a growing need for meaning—the desire for numbers, statistics, and key events to come together into a coherent narrative. AI does more than just enhance the experience; it structures it. For example, it enables the delivery—based on a fan’s preferences—of tactical insights, historical comparisons, performance alerts, or smart summaries designed for the ultra-short formats favored by those under 35.
A cross-platform experience where the match is just one chapter
For the first time, the study sheds light on how fans engage with sports when they aren’t watching an event live.
• 51% watch short highlight videos,
• 37% read smart summaries,
• 32% watch interviews or personalized analyses.
Sports consumption has become a continuous stream in which the live event accounts for only a fraction of the overall experience. Mobile apps now play a central role: 73% of fans say they use them to follow their favorite sports, a figure that rises to 82% when they are physically in a stadium2. In this context, AI becomes a gateway to a deeper experience, fueling the second-screen experience—the one unfolding on the screen the fan holds in their hand. In stadiums, 91% of fans using an app during an event say they use it to access real-time commentary, statistics, or enhanced interactions with the environment.
Fans want a sport that reflects who they are
The study shows that only 27% of respondents believe their sports-viewing habits will remain unchanged over the next two years. A large majority are preparing to adapt to digital innovations, particularly AI. Among the strongest expectations expressed,
• 67% want faster summaries,
• 65% want enhanced customization capabilities,
• 56% want AI-generated insights and analysis for past, present, and future events3.
This trend reflects a less passive and more creative relationship with sports. Fans want to be able to generate their own analytical perspectives, immerse themselves in fresh viewpoints, or revisit a match through a personalized tactical lens. Even the community is becoming a central focus: 21% of respondents explicitly expect AI to enhance interactions between fans and social spaces surrounding sports—a significant increase compared to 2024. At the same time, the overall experience is becoming more inclusive; 33% of fans believe that AI-driven real-time translation will have a major impact on their ability to follow international competitions, particularly in countries where English is not widely spoken.
Fan culture shaped by creators and instant content
Social media is amplifying this trend. According to the study, 59% of fans follow specialized influencers for analysis, predictions, or short educational content. This trend can be attributed to younger generations’ growing preference for fragmented, fast-paced, and customizable sports narratives. It also explains why short-form content is booming, as it caters to a new way of engaging with sports—one that is more conversational than contemplative. AI, by automatically generating match highlights, dynamic visualizations, or contextualized analyses, provides the ideal fuel for these creator ecosystems.
Ethical Issues, Transparency, and Accountability for User-Generated Content
However, the rise of AI-generated or AI-enhanced sports content raises some key questions.
- How can we ensure the accuracy of automatically generated analyses, especially when a fan places unquestioning trust in them?
- How can we prevent personalization from creating echo chambers where people only see what they want to see?
- How can we ensure responsible governance of the behavioral data collected to refine these experiences?
To address these challenges, several organizations are advocating for transparency in generative algorithms, better public information, and systematic human oversight of certain features, particularly in sensitive or predictive analyses4. The goal is to maintain a balance between innovation and trust, creativity and rigor, wonder and responsibility.
Toward a New Grammar of Sports Broadcasting
What the IBM study reveals is not just an interest in AI, but a shift in what it means to be a fan. The fan is becoming an analyst, a videographer, a strategist, and an occasional influencer. AI is expanding its scope; it is not only transforming athletic performance, but also the way the spectacle itself is experienced, recounted, and shared. The coming years will show just how far these changes will go, but one thing is certain: the sports experience of tomorrow will not be an improved version of yesterday’s; it will be an entirely new language, shaped by data, immediacy, and fans’ growing desire to be active participants in their own sports experience.
Learn more
To further explore the topic of AI-enhanced training—particularly as it takes shape in practical applications on the field—you can read another blog post dedicated to training robotics: Enhanced Performance: An AI Robot Revolutionizes Athlete Training
References
1. IBM. (2025). Global Sports Fan Behavior and AI Integration Study.
https://newsroom.ibm.com
2. Sports Tech Insights. (2025). Mobile App Usage Trends in Stadium Experiences.
https://www.sportstechinsights.org
3. FanData Lab. (2025). AI-Driven Personalization in Modern Sports Consumption.
https://www.fandatalab.com
4. International Council for Ethical AI in Sports. (2024). Guidelines for Responsible AI-Generated Sports Content.
https://www.icesport.ai
