Unlocking Fan Engagement: How AI is Changing the Game

Founded in 1877, Wimbledon is the world's oldest tennis tournament, epitomizing tradition and dedication to its rich heritage. At the same time, it has embraced modern innovations to enhance the fan experience.

For the last 30 years, IBM has been the technology partner of Wimbledon and has continued to bring out enhancements throughout this tenure. This year, the company’s Catch Me Up feature allows fans to get access to AI-generated player summaries as well as daily match news, the main storylines and highlights alongside previews of upcoming matches.

Wimbledon is just one example of how AI is enhancing the fan experience. With 2024’s summer of sport in full swing and the Olympics just around the corner, technology is going to be a game changer in bringing fans closer to the action. 

Putting Fans in the Manager’s Seat 

Enthusiasts of any sport - whether it’s tennis, football, rugby, motor racing or cricket - all crave involvement. When a football manager deliberates their next substitute or a Formula One team principal considers changing tires, spectators yearn for an opportunity to weigh in. 

Leading tournaments and leagues like Wimbledon and La Liga are harnessing the power of AI to provide in-depth, real-time player performance and match insights that bring fans closer to the coaching decisions. For instance, La Liga has a dedicated Beyond Stats software portal and Mediacoach, which uses Microsoft’s Azure AI to collect 3.5 million data points in real time per match. Meanwhile, Wimbledon’s partnership with IBM is giving fans an in-depth breakdown of player stats and their chances of success in the route to the final. 

Related:Generative AI Offers Personalized Player Analysis for Fans at Wimbledon 2024

The integration and adoption of this technology in sports is enhancing the viewing experience for fans. From the comfort of their homes, spectators can delve deeper into their favorite sports through match insights, power index leaderboards and captivating highlight reels.

Creating a Seamless Game Day Experience

As well as data parsing, AI algorithms empower sporting bodies to offer fans more personalized recommendations and tailored experiences. The thrill of attending a live sporting event can easily dissipate if a venue fails to meet fan expectations. That’s why stadiums are beginning to embrace AI-driven innovations to enhance the overall fan experience. 

Driven by loyalty, passion and commitment, fans crave sports-related products and services. By leveraging advanced data capture and analytics, stadiums are in a unique position to analyze fan behavior - tracking purchases, footfall and movement patterns.

Related:Al Michaels AI Clone to Voice Olympic Highlights During 2024 Paris Games

This data can then inform more effective retail strategies. Rather than having to queue for Wimbledon’s famous strawberries and cream, fans would be able to make in-app purchases tailored to their personal preferences, simultaneously reducing unnecessary waste. As a result, AI ensures that product strategies better align with the fan experience.

AI can also contribute to creating safer in-stadium fan experiences by streamlining stadium operations related to security and risk. AI is already being used to monitor crowd behavior aiding security officials in identifying suspicious and potentially dangerous actions. By analyzing the data collected through a venue’s existing camera infrastructure, real-time solutions for behavior recognition and anomaly detection can pinpoint behavioral patterns, detect suspects and promptly alert relevant security teams to potential threats before they escalate. 

Offering Consumers Peace of Mind 

As fraud continues to rise, in-demand sporting events face the added risk of ticket touts and scams. While many ticket platforms have implemented measures to prevent this, predictive analytics is now playing a crucial role in safeguarding loyal fans. 

AI is trained on billions of global transactions and benefits from a global network effect, allowing it to analyze vast amounts of data to detect patterns, anomalies and emerging fraud. Additionally, advanced analytics can provide unique, real-time insights into customer behavior, purchase history and browsing patterns for tournament ticket sales. This training enables the technology to identify warning signs of potential fraud.

When effectively implemented, AI enhances the fan experience by personalizing interactions and ensuring safety during in-person events. By leveraging the power of AI technologies, sporting teams, bodies and venues can drive revenue growth, grow loyal and dedicated fan bases and change the future of fan engagement. 

This article first appeared in IoT World Today's sister publication AI Business.