How AI and Digital Technology Are Changing Sports Culture

Sports have long been part of American culture, but technology is changing how fans experience the game. Today, fans can follow live statistics, watch highlights, interact with athletes, and receive personalized content from their smartphones. As AI, social media, streaming, and data analytics become more integrated into sports, they are reshaping how fans discover, watch, and engage with sports. This growing use of AI also raises questions about how these systems are managed, evaluated, and monitored. ISO/IEC 42001:2023, Information technology – Artificial intelligence – Management system provides a framework for organizations to manage AI responsibly and continually improve their AI management practices.

Is Sports Culture Becoming More Prominent in the U.S.?

Sports remain a major part of American culture, with 68% of Americans identifying as fans of at least one sport, consistent with 68% in 2024 and 67% in 2025. Professional football leads in popularity, followed by baseball, college football, and men’s basketball. Similarly, S&P Global reported in July 2026 that approximately three-quarters of Americans watch live sports. Football attracted 53% of viewers, while roughly one-third watched baseball and/or basketball.

How Digital Platforms Are Expanding Sports Fandom

Driven by streaming, social media, fantasy sports, mobile technology, and AI, sports have transformed from scheduled television programming into an always-on, multi-platform entertainment ecosystem. A 2026 study from the Acceleration Community of Companies and USC Annenberg found that 49% of Gen Z sports fans said they had become interested in a new sport or athlete because of fan-created content or something outside the sport itself, such as a streaming documentary, TikTok content, or an athlete’s personal life. Sports can now exist simultaneously in the stadium, on television, in a fantasy league, on TikTok, in a group chat, inside a sports app, and within an AI-powered conversation.

How AI Shapes Sports Information and Fan Engagement

Understanding standings, statistics, trades, player performance, rules, injuries, strategies, and historical records can require considerable background knowledge. AI-powered interfaces can make this information easier to understand by translating complex statistics into conversational explanations.

These same algorithms that make sports content easier to digest can influence which teams, athletes, and sports receive attention. For example, the 2025 Frontiers in Sports and Active Living review cautioned that algorithmic recommendation systems can reinforce existing interests and potentially create digital feedback loops—meaning if someone repeatedly interacts with content about one team, recommendation systems may continue supplying similar content, potentially reducing exposure to other sports or perspectives.

AIMS in Sports

As AI becomes part of sports platforms and services, organizations must consider how AI is developed, managed, evaluated, and monitored. ISO/IEC 42001:2023, the international standard for artificial intelligence management systems (AIMS), provides requirements and guidance for organizations that develop, provide, or use AI systems. The international standard addresses establishing, implementing, maintaining, and continually improving an AI management system.

By providing a structured framework for managing AI systems, an AIMS can help organizations address issues such as data quality, transparency, accountability, risk management, and ongoing system performance. In sports, this can support the responsible use of AI across applications.