AI in Sports: Transforming Fan Experience and Team Strategy

By Dr. Brittany Jacobs  |  11/07/2024

The sports industry has seen an onslaught of technological advancements over the last decade. But in recent years, artificial intelligence (AI) systems have proved to be a true game changer, providing benefits like improved organizational outcomes, enhanced team and player performance, and increased player safety.

The Market Value of Artificial Intelligence in Sports

The value of the global AI sports market was $2.2 billion in 2022, according to Allied Market Research. Allied Market Research also notes that by 2032, the market is expected to grow to $29.7 billion dollars. This growth is fueled by the adoption of AI technologies across the sports industry.

Artificial intelligence technologies, such as computer vision, machine learning, and natural language processing, are being deployed to analyze vast amounts of data and provide valuable insights that were previously unattainable. As a result, artificial intelligence has touched nearly every sport organization, and its impact will continue to grow in the coming years.

AI in Sports: The Team Benefits

Artificial intelligence is changing the game for sports teams in a big way. From scouting new talent to fine-tuning game strategies, AI gives coaches, managers, and players the tools they need to make smarter decisions.

Teams can now use data to spot rising stars, track player performance, and even prevent injuries before they happen. These advances are helping teams not just on the field, but behind the scenes as well, making everything run smoother and more efficiently.

Recruiting and Scouting

By using artificial intelligence technologies, sport organizations have been able to improve their overall talent pool. No longer are sports clubs dependent on scouts alone – they are now able to utilize big data from game highlights and game films to determine the potential success of a prospective player.

By identifying talented athletes earlier and more accurately, the quality of play in the sports world is bound to get better. Performance analysis, powered by AI, is also set to change how teams work, giving coaches and staff deeper insights into players throughout their careers. This shift will reshape the way teams approach everything from training to in-game decisions.

Game Strategies

A beneficial aspect of artificial intelligence is the speed at which statistical data can be analyzed. Players are fitted with wearable technology and AI-enhanced sports equipment, enabling teams to track player movements and gain valuable insights throughout the course of a game.

These data insights allow coaches and technical staff to make strategy decisions based on trends. In the NFL, for example, there are nearly 250 trackers present at each game and 200 data points are collected on every play. This data then helps to build predictive models that influence in-game strategy and increase the overall competitiveness of a game and also in the league.

The Sports Performance Benefits of AI

Artificial intelligence is not only altering how teams strategize and operate, but it's also changing how athletes train and recover. By offering personalized, data-driven insights on player performance through an in-depth analysis, AI allows athletes to improve performance, stay healthier, and recover faster.

From custom training programs to injury prevention, the impact of AI on individual performance is reshaping how sports organizations and players approach both preparation and recovery.

Training Programs and Recovery Programs

Numerous sports companies are leveraging AI to offer personalized training, nutrition, and recovery programs to athletes. Each athlete is unique, as is their particular role within a team. Careful attention must be paid to each athlete's well-being to ensure optimum performance without the risk of injury through overtraining.

AI-enabled sports equipment, like Riddell InSite Smart® technology, can transmit data regarding the head impact from an athlete's helmet. AI and machine learning algorithms can then be used to determine how/when a player should engage in reduced practices or no-contact practices, enhancing player safety.

In the martial arts space, organizations like USA Taekwondo have implemented augmented and virtual reality training. As a result, athletes can practice against high-quality opponents, even when their opponents may be on other sides of the country or world.

PozeAR®, an AI technology offered through Meta, employs augmented reality martial arts training. Computer vision, or AI-enhanced optical capture, can track motion data. This training allows athletes to learn from professionals, virtually stepping into their shoes.

Game Film Analysis

To analyze game footage, machine learning algorithms can be developed. These algorithms expedite the video review process and allow for the aggregation of hundreds of data points about a player’s performance within minutes, vastly improving analysis efficiency.

When sport analysts aggregate data, they can identify player and team trends. This information helps sports teams to improve their game strategy optimization and individual and team performance. These improvements can now be made almost instantly through the integration of AI technology.

Predictive Analytic Models for Sports Betting

The sport betting industry was an early adopter of sports analytics. Sports betting companies utilize models that compute win/loss probabilities, along with the probabilities of hundreds of other potential scenarios.

Combining player statistics, team performance statistics, and machine learning, analysts are able set odds that lean in the favor of the sport betting company. The lower the likelihood of the outcome, the higher the potential payout for the bettor.

Similarly, other organizations use predictive analytics to enhance fan engagement, facilitate injury prevention, or provide a competitive edge. There is likely no area of the sports industry that has not been touched by predictive analytics.

The Impact on Sports Business

From a sports business perspective, implementing AI-enhanced operations can improve multiple processes. From resume review to taking meeting minutes, utilizing AI tools frees up time for a sports professional to focus on high-level business issues.

Generative AI can also be instrumental in the development of presentations. For instance, AI tools can be used to aggregate data more quickly and create aesthetically pleasing slide decks. Reducing time spent on repetitive tasks such as analyzing data allows for innovation and continued growth within the entire sports industry.

AI-Enhanced Fan Experience

AI is taking the fan experience to a new level, whether those fans are watching from home or sitting in a stadium. When organizations are leveraging AI, they can give fans instant access to personalized stats, replays, and real-time insights that make the game more exciting. For example, AI can recommend highlights based on favorite players or teams and offer tailored content to fans.

At the stadium, AI has improved everything from finding the best seats to adding interactive displays that get fans even more involved in the game. It's bringing people closer to the action and making the whole sports experience more fun and engaging.

The Use of AI-Powered Cameras

The advent of AI-powered cameras has enhanced the way in which coaches explore game data and how broadcasters share information with fans. An AI-powered tracking system called TRACAB®, for example, is used in the English Premier League® and has been adopted by major-league soccer teams like Sporting KC®.  This technology allows for an immense amount of additional information to be shared with fans, which boosts fan engagement.

Similarly, sports journalism has been forever changed by the interactive AI features available within a broadcast. From player performance data to heatmaps showing shots, data generated from AI technologies has become ubiquitous in sporting broadcasts and provides fans with greater access to their teams than ever before.

Officiating with the Help of AI

In addition to improving broadcasts and enhancing data collection for technical staff, AI-enhanced cameras like Hawk-Eye® can be helpful for game officials. Used in the National Football League (NFL®), Major League Baseball (MLB®), and the National Basketball Association (NBA®) – as well as other sports like tennis, soccer, and volleyball – Hawk-Eye utilizes AI and acts as a video assistant referee® (VAR) to help game officials.

Hawk-Eye can also serve as a line judge in tennis, using different camera angles and AI systems to make decisions with almost 100% accuracy. The sight of human line judges, by contrast, is accurate only about 75% of the time.

Similarly, Hawk-Eye can determine if a player is offside in soccer with enhanced precision, reducing human error. In this way, this type of AI product ensures more accurate game outcomes.

Customer Service Improvements

AI tools are really changing the way sports fans interact with customer service. Whether it’s getting quick answers to questions or finding the best seats for a game, AI products enable sports teams and venues offer better service to fans.

Chatbots

With chatbots instantly handling inquiries and offering personalized suggestions for everything from seats to merchandise, fans get a smoother, more tailored experience. Chatbots and other AI products allow for immediate, real-time responses to fans’ queries. Even if it is 3 a.m., chatbots can answer customer inquiries in real time.

Sporting Events with AI Recommendations

AI tools can help recommend the “best” seat for particular customers, based on sports fans’ historical data. AI technologies can also provide advertisements for products or add-ons that fans are statistically most likely to buy.

AI algorithms may even recommend a future game to attend, based on a sports fan’s propensity to go to games at a certain time or date. This type of data analysis can be completed within seconds to provide personalized recommendations to the consumer.

Stadium Access and Security

Many larger sports arenas and stadiums are beginning to move away from traditional metal detectors in their entry screening. These outdated detectors are being replaced by magnetic or radio wave scanning devices that utilize AI technology to compare images to a database of weapons. This new technology significantly speeds up the security line and no longer requires fans to remove anything metallic from their pockets.

Facial recognition technology has also become common at sports events. This advanced system helps to ensure that people banned from a stadium do not enter it and ruin a game for other fans.

AI in Sports – The Future

The future of sports artificial intelligence looks bright, with endless possibilities for enhancing nearly every aspect of the sports industry. Most teams, leagues, and sport management professionals now utilize AI in their respective sectors of the sports industry. As the cost to access AI technologies decreases, utilization will increase in turn. 

The ability of sport managers to utilize data analytics and to be proficient in data science will facilitate an understanding of AI in sports. There are truly no limits to the number of uses for AI in the sports industry; we are only limited by our own creative capacity.

Sport and Health Sciences Degrees at AMU

For students interested in the use of sports and other related topics, American Military University (AMU) offers two degree programs:

• An online bachelor’s degree in sports and health sciences
• An online master’s degree in sports and health sciences

These degree programs feature courses that cover a wide range of topics, such as kinesiology, sports nutrition, exercise physiology, and sports psychology. Other courses that are available include statistics for sports and health sciences, motor learning, and advanced methods of strength and conditioning.

These courses are taught by highly experienced faculty members with a wide knowledge of sports and health sciences. For more information about these programs, visit AMU’s health sciences program page.

Riddell Insite Smart is a registered trademark of Riddell, Inc.
Poze AR is a registered trademark of Poze AI, Inc.
Meta is a registered trademark of Meta Platforms, Inc.
TRACAB is a registered trademark of Chyronhego U.S. Holding Corporation.
English Premier League is a registered trademark of the Football Association Premier League, Ltd.
Sporting KC is a registered trademark of Major League Soccer.
Hawk-Eye is a registered trademark of the Sony Group Corporation.
National Football League is a registered trademark of NFL Properties, LLC.
Major League Baseball is a registered trademark of Major League Baseball Properties, Inc.
National Basketball Association is a registered trademark of NBA Properties, Inc.