Paula Radcliffe, broadcaster and former marathon world-record holder, cautioned that more information is not always better. “I think there has to be a balance there,” Radcliffe said. “There can be too much data, and it can then become confusing and take away the emotions.”
Others agreed that data has value when it provides context and explanation rather than becoming the focal point of the experience itself.
Fans care more about the experience than the technology
The conversation then turned to personalization and how AI can make sports easier to follow.
For Louise Johnson, global CEO of Fuse, the goal is to simplify the fan experience. “Fans don’t wake up and go, ‘Oh, hey, I want a sports algorithm,’” Johnson said. “They want to know more about sport.”
Johnson argued that AI is most useful when it removes friction, helping fans find content, follow teams, and engage with the sports they love.
Laurence Buchanan, global leader of EY Studio+, explained that the most effective applications of data are the ones that make stories more accessible. “It’s not the data, it’s the story that the data tells, and that’s the thing that’s driving engagement with fans,” Buchanan explained.
He pointed to younger audiences who often discover sports through gaming before they begin watching or playing. Statistics and player data can become an entry point that helps fans connect with sports.
The group also discussed how data can make sports more accessible by helping newcomers distinguish between good and great performance.
“You can now be a fan of so many different sports, because it’s very easy for you to understand as a fan the difference between good and great, and data is what provides that insight,” said Jon Gieselman, chief growth officer of connectivity and platforms at Comcast.
