IBM Study: Sports Fans Demand More Dynamic Digital Content, Powered by AI

Beyond live events, many respondents are turning to video highlights (51%), post-event recaps (37%) and player interviews (32%) to stay connected to their favorite sports. Dedicated mobile sports apps are also widely adopted -- 73% of surveyed fans confirm using them to stay updated. Social media is the leading platform for accessing additional content, and social media influencers play a prominent role, with 59% of surveyed followers engaging with them for analysis and predictions. Beyond live...

Beyond live events, many respondents are turning to video highlights (51%), post-event recaps (37%) and player interviews (32%) to stay connected to their favorite sports. Dedicated mobile sports apps are also widely adopted -- 73% of surveyed fans confirm using them to stay updated. Social media is the leading platform for accessing additional content, and social media influencers play a prominent role, with 59% of surveyed followers engaging with them for analysis and predictions.

Only 27% of surveyed fans expect their sports consumption habits to stay the same over the next two years. Eighty percent (80%) believe technology – specifically AI -- will have the greatest influence on how they follow sports by 2027. More than half (56%) of surveyed fans want AI-powered insights and commentary for past, current and future sporting events. Additionally, 33% of respondents believe real-time translation technology will have the most significant impact on their international sports experience in the next 2-3 years -- particularly in markets where English is not the dominant language.

"The sports media landscape is more complex than ever, and fans are comfortable consuming digital content around the clock," said Kameryn Stanhouse, Vice President, Sports and Entertainment Partnerships, IBM. "With fans signaling their readiness to embrace AI, we will continue working with our tournament, league, and media partners to meet fans where they are, whether they're watching the action in person or enhancing their second-screen experience."

Other key findings include:

Sports engagement expands beyond the game with fast, non-stop content across screens

Fans seek more connected, community-driven sports experiences

To view the full study, visit: https://newsroom.ibm.com/image/IBM_Sport_Survey_Report_2025.pdf

*Study Methodology
This survey was conducted in June 2025 among a total sample of 20,864 sports fans 18+ in the US, Canada, the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, India, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Mexico and Brazil. The interviews for each country were conducted online, and the data is unweighted, with ~2,000 responses per market in the US, Canada, the UK, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and India and ~1,000 responses per market in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Mexico and Brazil.

To qualify for this survey respondents must be at least an average sports fan and follow one or more of the following sports: soccer, cricket, tennis, basketball, baseball, rugby, golf, American football, F1 racing, track and field, swimming, and the Olympics.

**Longitudinal insights provide a global overview of how sports fans' behaviors and attitudes changed between 2024 and 2025. To ensure accurate year-over-year-comparisons, Mexico and Brazil are excluded from these analyses, as they were not included in the 2024 data.

About IBM
IBM is a leading provider of global hybrid cloud and AI, and consulting expertise. We help clients in more than 175 countries capitalize on insights from their data, streamline business processes, reduce costs and gain the competitive edge in their industries. Thousands of government and corporate entities in critical infrastructure areas such as financial services, telecommunications and healthcare rely on IBM's hybrid cloud platform and Red Hat OpenShift to affect their digital transformations quickly, efficiently and securely. IBM's breakthrough innovations in AI, quantum computing, industry-specific cloud solutions and consulting deliver open and flexible options to our clients. All of this is backed by IBM's long-standing commitment to trust, transparency, responsibility, inclusivity and service. Visit www.ibm.com for more information.

Media Contact
Marisa Conway
IBM Corporate Communications
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