AI-powered sports engagement: AI is reshaping sports fandom, but trust, privacy and authenticity remain essential.

Overview

This Capgemini Research Institute report examines how AI, generative AI, data, connected venues and immersive technologies are changing sports consumption. It concludes that organizations should build personalized, interactive fan experiences across physical and digital channels while protecting privacy, curbing misinformation and preserving the human character of sport.

Core views

The report starts from a renewed appetite for live sport. The proportion of fans who both attend matches in venues and watch through other channels increased from 34% in 2023 to 37% in 2025, with Gen Z and millennials helping drive the return as they value technology-enhanced stadium experiences. This return has persisted despite higher costs: sporting-event admission prices rose 22% year on year in May 2024. The report argues that venues can narrow the convenience gap with home viewing through smart-stadium infrastructure, high-quality connectivity, mobile wayfinding, digital ticketing, in-seat ordering, cashless payments, interactive displays and personalized offers. It cites facial-authentication entry at the Cleveland Browns, where more than 10,000 fans used the system per game in the 2023 season; ticket processing averaged two seconds, saving more than $8,000 per lane annually and reducing average entry time by 10 minutes. The global smart-stadium market is projected to grow from $19.6 billion in 2024 to $41.7 billion by 2029, a 16.4% CAGR. For remote and hybrid audiences, the report sees AI and generative AI shifting fans from passive viewing toward personalized participation. In its 2025 survey, 54% of fans said they had replaced traditional search engines with AI tools for sports information and 59% said they trust AI-generated sports content. Fans want AI to aggregate sports information, tailor news and highlights from their engagement histories, offer real-time replays, enable alternate camera angles and commentary, and create virtual competitions or “what-if” scenarios. The report highlights examples including Ferrari and IBM’s interactive F1 app, AI-generated racing avatars in Lap of Legends, Hudl Sportscode’s video analysis, and Magnifi’s automated highlights, which can identify and share key moments and crowd reactions within 60 seconds. It contends that these tools can create a more continuous relationship with fans before, during and after events. Data is presented as a core component of the sports-consumption experience. About 70% of fans want player-performance metrics and live conditions such as wind or pitch data during matches. Demand is visible in network usage: Wimbledon spectators consumed 64 terabytes of data in 2023, 37% more than in 2022, while Verizon customers used 93.5 terabytes in New Orleans on Super Bowl Sunday and fans in and around Caesars Superdome used 38.1 terabytes. The report argues that real-time statistics, contextual data visualizations, social interaction and personalized content can strengthen understanding and loyalty. It points to the ICC’s personalized tournament recaps, the NFL and Adobe’s AI-enabled fan content, and Tour de France applications that combine live data, digital twins and AI-based commentary. The commercial opportunity is meaningful but conditional. One in four fans is willing to pay more for AI/Gen-AI-enhanced viewing, with 27% willing to pay an average premium of roughly 8%; younger generations show slightly higher willingness. The report therefore suggests premium add-ons such as AI-curated highlight reels, personalized subscriptions, AR/VR experiences, fantasy games and second-screen commentary. It advises teams, leagues, venues, broadcasters and media platforms to develop integrated digital hubs and deploy AI for content creation, personalization and interactive broadcasts. However, the report emphasizes that technology should augment sport rather than overshadow it. More than half of fans believe excessive technology can compromise authenticity and enjoyment, while 66% are concerned that misinformation could make athletes more vulnerable to harassment. Older fans tend to have lower awareness of how AI-enabled viewing tools work and may be more exposed to privacy risks. The report calls for robust cybersecurity, clear disclosure of AI use, verification of shared content, active moderation, fact-checking tools, unified privacy standards and protections against abusive content, deepfakes and data breaches. Its central recommendation is to combine innovation with transparency, fairness, inclusive access and strong data governance.

Analysis framework

The report combines a March–April 2025 survey of 12,017 sports fans across 11 countries or regions with comparisons to earlier Capgemini surveys and selected industry case studies. It examines fan behavior in venues and remotely, evaluates technology use cases and willingness to pay, then weighs engagement opportunities against authenticity, misinformation, privacy and cybersecurity concerns.

Methodology notes

• Other

  Fan survey and case-study analysis

  The report surveys sports fans, compares selected results with prior surveys, and uses examples from venues, leagues, teams and technology providers to illustrate adoption and implementation.

Key data

• Fans attending stadium matches37% in 2025 vs 34% in 2023Share of fans attending matches in venues while also watching through other channels.
• Use of AI for sports information54%Fans who have replaced traditional search engines with AI/Gen-AI tools for sports information.
• Trust in AI-generated sports content59%Fans reporting trust in sports-related information shared by AI/Gen-AI tools.
• Willingness to pay for AI-enhanced viewing27%; ~8% average premiumFans willing to pay more for AI/Gen-AI-powered viewing experiences.
• Demand for live sports data~70%Fans wanting player performance metrics and live playing-condition data during matches.
• Misinformation concern66%Fans concerned misinformation could raise the risk of athletes being targeted or harassed.
• Smart stadium market$19.6 billion in 2024 to $41.7 billion by 2029Projected 16.4% CAGR.

Impact & implications

The report says sports organizations can use AI, data and immersive technology to improve attendance, year-round engagement, personalization and premium monetization. It stresses that value creation depends on practical fan benefits, transparent AI use, strong cybersecurity, reliable content verification and safeguards for privacy, fairness and inclusion.

Risks

• Excessive technology and data use may reduce the authenticity and enjoyment of live sport.
• Misinformation, false content and player impersonation may fuel harassment of athletes.
• Cyberattacks, data breaches and ransomware could disrupt operations and compromise fan information.
• Lower awareness among older fans may increase data-privacy vulnerability.

What to watch

• Whether stadium operators invest in smart infrastructure, connectivity, mobile services and personalized on-site experiences.
• Adoption of AI assistants, real-time personalized highlights, alternative viewing options and immersive AR/VR experiences.
• Fan willingness to pay for AI-enabled premium content and interactive experiences.
• Implementation of unified privacy frameworks, AI-use transparency, content moderation and fact-checking.
• Measures to protect fans and athletes from misinformation, abuse and personal-data misuse.