Key Takeaways:
–Personalization Pays Off: Tailored content isn’t just a fan perk—it’s a proven revenue driver, boosting monetization by 10–15%
–The Kids Want Custom: 18–29-year-olds rank personalized content as their #1 priority for sports consumption
–Own the Relationship: Social platforms control the feed—but smart sports brands are using AI to bring fans back to their own turf
Game 1 of the 2025 NBA Finals had everything: a dominant performance by the MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander; a 15-point comeback in the 4th quarter by the never-say-die Indiana Pacers; and a game-winning jumper with 0.3 seconds left by the clutch player of the playoffs, Tyrese Haliburton. Oh, and it also saw the debut of ESPN's first teaser for its self-titled direct-to-consumer (DTC) streaming service, which is set to launch this fall.
The teaser begins with a flashback to the fall of 1979, when legendary sports anchor Lee Leonard opened the first-ever SportsCenter broadcast by saying: “If you’re a fan… what you’ll see in the next minutes, hours, and days to follow may convince you you’ve gone to sports heaven.” Which is fitting, since SportsCenter will play a major role in the new offering.
Designed to be the ultimate sports destination, ESPN's DTC offering will include an AI-powered personalized SportsCenter. “Think explicit and implicit data,” said ESPN Chairman Jimmy Pitaro. “It’ll be a combination of those two things. I won’t just get Yankees, ESPN will know that I’m constantly looking at Red Sox scores, so I’ll also get Red Sox data, even though my second favorite team is whoever is playing the Red Sox.”
The Shift Toward Tailored Sports Experiences
According to Pitaro, one of ESPN's main reasons for going DTC was the benefit of having a direct relationship with fans and the ability to personalize the service. This makes sense for a couple of reasons. For one, personalized experiences are proven to positively impact monetization; research has shown that personalization often drives a 10% to 15% revenue lift. For another, fans have come to expect personalized sports content.
A recent survey by IBM reveals that fans are prioritizing content tailored to their preferences, with the majority recognizing the transformative effect technologies like AI will have on sports consumption. Drawing on insights from over 18,000 fans across three continents, the study tries to better understand the way fans follow sports and how they envision future engagement with teams and athletes. Key findings include:
–When asked to rank their top priorities for improving engagement via generative AI, 29% of fans chose personalized content — second only to real-time updates (34%)
–More than half (58%) of 18-29-year-olds believe AI will have a positive impact on sports consumption
–When it comes to consuming sports content, fans aged between 18-29 rank personalized content as their top priority
The Real Cost of Social Media Dependence
Currently, most fans consume tailor-made sports content at the forefront of personalization: social media platforms. Using data about users' past behavior, interests, and interactions, social media algorithms are built to determine which content should appear on each user's feed. That means, industry experts say, that they are the ones who own the fan relationship.
“For years, social media has been the default space where fans connect with their favorite teams, players, and moments,” explained Jonty Whitehead, President and Founder of gamification and on-screen engagement company Sport BUFF. “When sports hands over its fan interface to third-party platforms like X, Instagram, or TikTok, something important is lost: control, value, and the ability to deeply engage audiences.”
In an effort to reclaim these audiences, forward-thinking organizations are leveraging AI to improve personalization on O&O channels. The MLB, for example, relies on GenAI functionality to offer a new personalized video recap — dubbed "My Daily Story" — for any fan logged into their MLB account on its app.
“We want to create strong habits of people starting their morning with the MLB app,” said Josh Frost, SVP, Product at the league's office, “seeing all the great content that we have from yesterday, and then bringing them through the whole daily cycle.”
The Technology Behind Scalable, Personalized Content
To break the current engagement cycle, sports organizations must deliver rich, branded content wherever their audience already is — especially on social platforms. But reaching them there isn’t enough. The real opportunity lies in creating pathways back to owned environments, where leagues and teams can turn passive interactions into long-term value.
Achieving that at scale requires the right technology. AI-powered content creation solutions enable organizations to meet every moment with tailored formats. From tappable stories to swipeable video feeds, it's about making every fan feel like the content was made just for them. Because that is often the difference between owning your audience and renting it from someone else.
Actionable Insights
–Invest in First-Party Channels: Build personalized experiences on your app or site to strengthen direct fan relationships and reduce reliance on third-party platforms
–Leverage AI for Scale: Use automation tools to deliver tailored content formats—recaps, highlights, stories—to every fan, every day
–Turn Engagement into Habit: Create consistent, must-see content (like MLB’s “My Daily Story”) that pulls fans into your ecosystem and keeps them coming back
