Artificial intelligence is disrupting the way we live and work like never before. Now he is taking the world of sports, for both competitors and fans, to a new dimension.
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“We say: you watch tennis, we see data. If you watch golf, we watch data,” Jonathan Adashek, Senior Vice President of Marketing and Communications at IBM, told ‘Euronews Culture’ at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.
The technology company is combining the current phenomenon of big data with the power of artificial intelligence to provide athletes with more detailed information about their performance and their position against the competition.
But it is also helping improve the fan experienceoffering them more immersive, accessible and personalized experiences, amid increasing content expectations and changes in consumption.
Wimbledon bets on generative AI
This year, Dell and the All England Lawn Tennis Club, which organizes Wimbledonlaunch a new generative artificial intelligence feature to provide fans with information about players as they progress through the championship.
The “Catch Up” feature, accessed through the Wimbledon website and app, will show player profiles before and after matcheswith stories and analysis of the players generated by the AI. They will be personalized based on the user’s preferences and data such as their location, starting with their favorite tennis players.
Before the match, fans will receive an analysis of their recent performances and your chances of winning. After the match, key statistics and highlights will be available.
Promote accessibility in sport
The Generative AI It will also be deployed at Wimbledon this year to offer fans access to matches outside the main courts, including wheelchair events. It is part of a Improved digital match centre, which will automatically generate pre- and post-match summaries.
“I was talking to someone who was a professional tennis player for a few years and he was ranked 864, I think. It was his best world ranking. And he said, ‘When I played, I was always on those outside courts and my family, who couldn’t travel to watching the games, I couldn’t see myself,'” Adashek explained.
‘Now, if I played today, my family could see me, my friends could see me, my community could see me.’ Really can create a much broader fan base and attract more people to the hobby, to the sport.”
Tennis fans welcome technology
In a new study from IBM and Morning Consult, 55% of tennis fans around the world surveyed say they believe AI will have a positive impact on the sport. For generative AI, real-time updates, personalized content, and unique insights into how it could improve your experience were cited.
But it is not only in tennis where IBM wants to make a splash in the AI experience, Adashek noted.
“If you look at other sporting activities that we are doing, like the Masters, we can take a full round of golf from any player in the tournament, watch it in less than three minutes and have AI-generated commentary in English or Spanish for every shot you play“, said.
Will the stands remain empty?
All of this AI disruption comes on the heels of the pandemic, which fueled the rise of augmented at-home experiences for sports fans, connecting spectators to the physical action.
With this digital push continuing, could this mark the beginning of the end for live audiences in stadiums and other venues?
“To millions of people They love going to see a game or a match, and I don’t think that will change.Adashek predicts. “I think it will just give them more information as they watch it.”
