AI in Sport – A Chance for Transformation or New Challenges?
The new SHARE 2.0 report “Artificial Intelligence in the Sport Sector” shows that AI is no longer just a technological curiosity. It is a tool that is already reshaping the way clubs are managed, how athletes prepare, and how fans connect with their favorite teams.
AI in Sport – From Experiment to Everyday Practice
Just a few years ago, artificial intelligence was the domain of research labs and the biggest tech companies. Today, it is entering pitches, arenas, and stadiums. Its applications are broad: from simple tools automating administration in small clubs, through advanced tactical analysis systems in professional sport, to personalized content and new fan experiences.
The SHARE 2.0 report highlights that sport may become one of the sectors where AI plays a truly transformative role – similar to the earlier revolutions driven by digitalization and social media.
Grassroots Sport – A Lifeline for Volunteers and Finances
Amateur and local sport in Europe is facing serious challenges: a lack of volunteers, limited budgets, and difficulties maintaining infrastructure. AI can provide solutions to these problems by:
- Automating bureaucracy: tools like Clubee help clubs manage player registrations, handle payments, or send communications with minimal human effort.
- Supporting coaches and athletes: virtual training assistants analyze data from simple sensors or video footage, offering tips to improve technique, diversify sessions, and monitor workloads.
- Creating new funding opportunities: by analyzing online reach and engagement, even small clubs can prepare professional sponsorship offers and demonstrate the value of their community to potential partners.
At this level – where every volunteer’s hour and every euro in the budget matters – AI can offer the most tangible support.
Professional Sport – Building an Edge Through Data
At the highest levels of competition, details decide the outcome. That’s why clubs increasingly invest in AI solutions that:
- Analyze tactics in real time: for example, Liverpool FC’s collaboration with Google DeepMind on the TacticAI system, which recommends optimal setups for set pieces.
- Enhance scouting: by analyzing video footage or fitness tests, AI can detect talent that traditional methods might overlook.
- Prevent injuries: monitoring biometric data and injury history allows clubs to adapt training and protect athletes’ health – already used by clubs in Serie A.
- Improve officiating: semi-automated VAR in football or electronic line calling in tennis have become standard.
AI doesn’t replace coaches or doctors – it becomes their everyday partner, providing data and recommendations to support better decision-making.
Fans – Experiencing Sport in New Dimensions
The report stresses that the most radical AI-driven changes may come in how fans experience sport:
- Personalized content: algorithms deliver information, statistics, and video tailored to each supporter’s interests.
- Interactive broadcasts: AI systems generate live commentary in multiple languages and styles.
- Smart stadiums: from intelligent crowd management to personalized offers in mobile apps.
- Immersive VR and AR: fans can “step onto the pitch” or track, experiencing events in entirely new ways.
This means not only more excitement, but also new revenue streams for clubs and federations.
Challenges and Ethical Questions
The potential of AI is immense, but the report also points to darker sides. The key risks include:
- Data protection: sports involve highly sensitive health and biometric data.
- Algorithmic bias: if models are trained mainly on male data, they may undervalue the performance of women or athletes from smaller federations.
- Inequalities between disciplines: football and tennis attract investment, while smaller sports risk being left behind.
- Transparency: athletes and fans must know when and how AI influences their experiences and decisions.
This is why the report calls for ethical and responsible implementation of AI in sport.
Conclusions – Sport on the Brink of Transformation
The SHARE 2.0 report is one of the first comprehensive documents on AI in sport. Its value lies in combining:
- a vision of innovative technological applications,
- awareness of ethical and legal risks,
- practical recommendations for clubs, federations, and policymakers.
Today, sport stands at a crossroads: it can remain a passive recipient of technological trends, or it can actively shape their development to serve not only results but also values – equality, inclusiveness, and social responsibility.
