PERSPECTIVE article
Front. Sports Act. Living
Sec. Sports Management, Marketing, and Economics
Volume 7 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fspor.2025.1597444
This article is part of the Research TopicSports marketing evolution: Emerging trends, challenges, and future directionsView all articles
Algorithmic fandom: how Generative AI is reshaping sports marketing, fan engagement, and the integrity of sport
Provisionally accepted
- Victoria University, Australia, Melbourne, Australia
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Generative artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly transforming the landscape of sports marketing by enabling hyper-personalised fan engagement, real-time content delivery, and data-driven commercial strategies. Leveraging technologies such as machine learning, predictive analytics, and automated content generation, sports organisations are increasingly able to tailor fan experiences, anticipate behaviour, and optimise revenue models. While these advancements offer significant opportunities for enhancing interactivity and commercial growth, they also introduce complex ethical, psychological, and regulatory challenges. This paper critically examines the dual nature of generative AI in sports marketing, with a particular focus on consumer autonomy, data monetisation, and the influence of AI-driven personalisation on fan behaviour. Using narrative literature review approach, the paper draws on emerging research, industry cases, and interdisciplinary literature, and explores how algorithmic recommendation systems can manipulate fan decisions, reinforce digital echo chambers, and marginalise underrepresented sports. Special attention is given to the impact of AI on children and adolescents, who are particularly vulnerable to targeted content, gamification, and AI-curated betting environments. The integration of AI in gambling platforms and the commercialisation of fan data raise significant concerns around privacy, consent, and long-term wellbeing. The paper concludes by offering implementation guidance for sport ecosystem stakeholders and outlines a future research agenda that calls for empirical investigations into long-term effects of AI on fan behaviour, the development of regulatory frameworks to safeguard consumer rights, and interdisciplinary collaboration to design ethical AI systems. By identifying these issues, the paper aims to support more inclusive, transparent, and integrity-focused applications of AI in sport.
Keywords: AI, artificial intelligence, AI integrity, algorithm, Generative AI, Data monetisation, Echo chambers, Fan engagement
Received: 21 Mar 2025; Accepted: 23 Apr 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Westerbeek. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Hans Westerbeek, Victoria University, Australia, Melbourne, Australia
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