IBM’s game plan on using AI to change the global sports fan experience

IBM

For more than three decades, IBM has quietly powered some of the world’s most iconic sporting events. From Wimbledon to the Masters to Formula 1, the tech giant’s role has gone far beyond building websites — it has been steadily weaving artificial intelligence, cloud, and data into the way fans consume sport.

Now, according to Tyler Sidell, IBM’s Technical Program Director for Sports and Entertainment Partnerships, the company is doubling down on AI to redefine the next era of fandom.

Sidell, in an exclusive conversation with Moneycontrol, says the appetite among traditional institutions has been surprisingly strong. “These are iconic brands—the US Open, Wimbledon, the Masters—and they’re very receptive to AI,” he notes. “They want to create experiences no one else can, and that pushes us to innovate as well.”

At the US Open, IBM’s AI-driven digital platforms see around 40 million users over two weeks, dwarfing the one million on-site visitors. That demand forces the company to bring courtside intensity to living rooms worldwide. “It’s about keeping fans engaged on the platform,” Sidell explains. “We design AI features that make them stay, whether it’s real-time insights or personalised content.”

Formula 1: race strategies meet real-time AI

Formula 1 presents a different challenge. The sport is built on data, and IBM’s work with Ferrari highlights how AI can enhance both fan engagement and performance. The company recently redesigned Ferrari’s mobile app, adding features such as AI-generated race summaries and historical race insights. “We even delivered the app in Italian using our large language models,” Sidell says. “It’s about giving fans experiences in their own language, which helps grow the global fanbase.”

But with Augusta National, the task isn’t speed or data—it’s tradition. “Every partnership is different,” Sidell admits. “At the Masters, it’s about using technology carefully, so you enrich the experience without losing heritage.” AI is deployed in subtle ways, enhancing storytelling and fan access while respecting the tournament’s unique atmosphere.

The breadth of IBM’s portfolio shows how flexible AI can be. In Spain, the company works with Sevilla FC on player scouting tools that crunch vast datasets to identify hidden talent—something Sidell likens to an AI-driven version of Moneyball. Beyond football, golf, tennis, and racing, IBM is also exploring opportunities with UFC and other data-rich sports.

What ties these projects together is scale and complexity. “We understand the business challenges and then figure out how technology can solve them,” Sidell explains. The company’s watsonx platform now underpins many of these solutions, enabling everything from natural language summaries to orchestrated assistants that could one day explain cricket stats or dive into historical archives in real time.

What’s next?

For IBM, the next frontier is less about a single sport and more about the universal application of AI across the industry. “Anyone in sports with massive data who wants to harness it—we’re ready,” Sidell says.