The fan journey is still fragmented
Participants also discussed one of the biggest challenges facing sports organizations today.
“Sport has a really unfair advantage, which is the loyalty of the customer,” shared Buchanan. “The challenge of sports and fan experience is fragmentation.”
Fans move between teams, leagues, broadcasters, sponsors, venues, retailers, and creators throughout a single experience. As those touchpoints continue to converge, organizations are working to create a more connected fan journey.
“I think the brands that will win will be able to join those dots from the live moment to the retail moment to the ecom moment, to the creator to the media to the event,” Johnson added.
Trust will shape the future of fan engagement
The conversation closed with a focus on trust and the growing role data plays in relationships.
From an athlete’s perspective, Di Somma said trust is still the foundation for everything else. “I think trust is at the core,” he said.
That same principle applies to fan experiences. Personalization can create value when it feels useful. Problems arise when fans feel their information is being used in ways they did not expect.
“Passion buys you permission,” Di Somma said. “If you try new things, if you try new tools, if you try new AI, you will immediately see if fans lean in.”
Although technology was a major topic, the group repeatedly returned to the same conclusion: Sports remain powerful because they are unpredictable, emotional, and human. AI may help organizations create better experiences around those moments, but the moments themselves are what matter most.
- Hanne Jesca Bax, Global Vice Chair – Clients and Industries, EY
- Laurence Buchanan, Global Leader, EY Studio+
- Roman Di Somma, Head of International Talent, CAA Sports
- Jon Gieselman, Chief Growth Officer of Connectivity and Platforms, Comcast
- Will Lee, CEO, ADWEEK
- Louise Johnson, Global CEO, Fuse
- Paula Radcliffe, Broadcaster
