IBM study finds young sports fans turning toward digital platforms

Armonk-based IBM has released results of a study the company commissioned of the way sports fans follow sports and how technology is driving their experiences. The international study involved more than 18,000 sports fans in 10 countries. The study was designed to better understand both how fans follow and engage with sports, including live coverage, highlights, and summaries, as well as preferences for future engagement and consumption.

The data show that younger sports fans are more likely to favor features that have been enhanced using artificial intelligence (AI) as they increasingly turn to digital platforms for sports content. Surveyed fans aged 18 to 29 are using a mobile phone or tablet as their primary device to watch sporting events more often than are older fans. The study found that 58% of the 18 to 29 year old respondents also believe AI will have a positive impact on sports.

The study found that respondents from older age groups remain loyal to traditional methods of consumption, with linear broadcasting being most popular among fans age 45 and up. Forty percent of surveyed fans over the age of 55 believe AI will have a positive impact on sports.

“Fans worldwide are continuing to embrace platforms and solutions that allow them to feel more connected and informed on their favorite sporting events and athletes, and IBM’s new study confirms this now includes embracing technologies like AI to deliver these experiences,” said Noah Syken, IBM’s vice president of sports and entertainment partnerships. “IBM’s longstanding portfolio of sports and entertainment partnerships aims to deliver on these expectations from fans by putting in the hands of our partners the most advanced IBM technologies.”

The study found that India, UAE and Saudi Arabia rank the highest in countries where fans are prioritizing real-time updates and personalized content powered by generative AI. It also found that 56% of respondents turn to social media for additional sports content. Sports fans are watching event summaries more often, with 41% of respondents indicating they watch summaries or highlights weekly and 24% report daily engagement.

Sixty-four percent of surveyed fans said linear or streaming TV is their top choice for watching sports with 31% of respondents saying they are most likely to watch a live sporting event on linear broadcast, 28% saying they use a subscription streaming service and 23% using a free streaming service.

To qualify for the survey respondents had to 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.