AI in sports spectatorship – set to skyrocket (see Key Stats) – is already pushing the (on-the-web, in-app and in-person) fan experiences forward via live predictive data analysis and real-time commentary, knowledge-rich chatbots and imaginative content delivery. Covering basketball, football, golf, tennis and motorsports, it’s adding enticing new layers of accessibility, curation and entertainment.

With live sports fragmented across viewing channels, becoming a go-to provider of enhanced livestreaming is imperative. Capitalising on the 56% of people in the US alone who say they have a better experience streaming live sports (rather than watching on cable/broadcast TV) (Deloitte, 2023), sports apps and streaming platforms’ dynamic extras include multiview options, watch parties, loyalty rewards and customisable live coverage.

As the cost of attending sports events in person increases and audiences’ curiosity around virtual environments grows (see Key Stats), dedicated mixed reality spaces are creating new gateways for football, hockey and basketball. These alternate fan experiences build on the atmosphere of real-life games with heightened access, awe-inspiring proximity, spectator interactivity, gamification and reality-beating audio and visual immersion.

Young sports fans increasingly want to nerd out in digital fan-club-esque spaces complete with social media features: 50% of American Gen Z fans say they’ve used social media to find sports content while watching live sports at home (Deloitte, 2023). Football and basketball organisations and a new standalone app are delivering with vertical video-feed-based scrolling and user-generated content creation opportunities.

While 71% of American sports fans say watching live sporting events (on-screen) is their favourite type of sports content, the figure drops to 58% for Gen Zers and millennials (Deloitte, 2023), who also seek companion content, including docuseries, extra commentary, sports personalities’ profiles and interactive spin-off formats. The NBA, Premier League and Netflix are stepping up to the plate.

A new wave of tech-first smart stadiums (see SBJ Tech Week 2023) are bringing dynamism to in-stadium spectatorship and fan experiences, particularly in basketball and football. Sports organisations and stadium developers take digital enhancements from mobile screens to real-life environments, gamify reward programmes to make match-day attendance more enriching and invest in spectacular entertainment-first venues.