SentientSports aims to lead the transition of the sports industry into a new AI-driven era

AI is set to revolutionise sports across the board, fundamentally transforming how we experience and interact with the game. SentientSports aims to build cutting-edge AI technology to tackle the biggest challenges facing every sports stakeholder. The company seeks to address the most impactful challenges in the sports industry, enhancing fan engagement by enabling clubs to generate D2C revenue from global fanbases and simultaneously protecting athlete mental health by mitigating online abuse through AI-driven social media monitoring.

Industry overview and challenges 

Overall, sports organisations are often late adopters of new and emerging technologies [1]. The sports industry currently relies heavily on physical B2B revenue streams such as ticket sales, broadcasts, and sponsorships. However, this model is becoming outdated and fails to capitalise fully on the potential of AI and digital technologies. Additionally, athletes face a significant challenge from online abuse via social media and the press.

Currently, the internet and social media permit direct access to famous sports players. This direct access, coupled with the ability to remain largely anonymous and the belief that there will be no consequence for what is said or done online, has led to a dramatic growth in online abuse over the past decade [2]. Although sports stars expect a certain level of exposure to come along with fame, many are also now subjected to abuse and malicious campaigns on social media. It recently emerged that Liverpool FC has hired a therapist to help players deal with the effects of online trolling [3].

Recently, media regulator Ofcom and The Alan Turing Institute performed an analysis of more than two million Twitter posts to reveal the scope of online abuse directed at Premier League footballers. They found that of the 2.3 million tweets sent during the first half of the 2021-2022 season, more than 60,000 were abusive [4]. Ofcom reported that an average of 362 abusive tweets were sent every day during that period, equivalent to one every four minutes. Additionally, around one in 12 personal attacks targeted a victim’s protected characteristics, such as their race or gender [4].

Similarly, World Athletics conducted a study that found that 65% of abusive social media posts directed at sports players were considered abusive and warranting intervention from the social channel [5]. The United Against Online Abuse Barometer Report 2024 shows that 90% of responding governing bodies and sporting federations agree that online abuse had the potential to drive athletes to withdraw from participating in their sport [6].

As generative AI (GenAI) starts to change the fundamental ways in which businesses are run, stakeholders in the sports industry — including teams, leagues, content owners and advertisers — should seize this moment to evaluate how GenAI can influence the sector, improving the fan experience and helping to boost revenue [1].

The sports industry across the globe is beginning to incorporate new AI technologies into its business offerings to redefine fan experiences. In addition, changes in legislation have reflected the effects of AI on the sports industry. American basketball team, the Golden State Warriors, use AI to craft immersive virtual reality experiences for their fans. Similarly, the baseball team, Los Angeles Dodgers use AI to help fans navigate the stadium and easily locate their seats [7]. In 2023, an AI surveillance bill was passed in France with the aim to maintain safety and security during the 2024 Olympics [8].

According to research, the AI in sports market is expected to grow from £2.2bn in 2022 to £29.7bn in 2032, showing a CAGR of 30.1% during the forecast period [9]. With an ever-growing sports industry and speed at which AI is advancing, it is widely anticipated that sports and AI will continue to intertwine, shaping existing and emerging industry trends.

With a leadership team that includes the ex-chief executive of Manchester United and the UK’s first chief scientific advisor for National Security, SentientSports believes it is in a unique position to pinpoint and strive to solve the biggest challenges in sports by reducing the online abuse of athletes and enhancing the global fan experience.

Introducing SentientSports

SentientSports is strategically addressing multiple verticals with the ambition to deliver innovative, AI-driven solutions for the most pressing challenges in sports. The company aims to revolutionise sports revenue streams by shifting to direct-to-consumer digital revenue, engaging global fanbases with cutting-edge AI innovations, and unlocking new revenue opportunities while delivering more engaging fan experiences.

SentientSports is developing an advanced multi-agent AI engine to monitor social media and news sources, identify hate and harassment, automate incident reporting, and generate takedown documents. This includes tools for athletes to assess social media safety, for clubs to monitor and support at-risk athletes, and for rights-holders to streamline abuse reporting. These solutions protect athletes’ mental well-being and enhance their performance by creating a safer online environment.

SentientSports’ proprietary GuardianAI technology monitors social media, identifies abusive content, and implements countermeasures, including deepfake detection, to protect athletes and improve their mental well-being.

In addition, the company’s sports-specific large-language model (LLM) generates personalised content in multiple languages, and ReplayAI allows fans to explore alternative outcomes, creating more engaging and inclusive experiences for global sports fans.

How does SentientSports work? 

SentientSports reports that it has developed over 16 proprietary AI models that power a suite of products. The company has developed several cutting-edge AI technologies across its two main verticals of fan experience and athlete protection. Through these technologies, it plans to revolutionise fan engagement and athlete protection in the sports industry. The AI technologies include ScoutGPT, ReplayAI and GuardianAI.

According to SentientSports, ScoutGPT uses generative AI to deliver ultra-personalised content to fans in their local languages, learning and adapting to their preferences. This aims to cater to fans in emerging regions who often feel disconnected from their favourite teams. ReplayAI employs Causal AI to let fans explore “what-if” scenarios and simulate alternative outcomes in live games, creating interactive and engaging experiences. By providing tailored, real-time content and interactive tools, the company seeks to help sports teams connect with and engage their global fanbase more effectively.

Additionally, SentientSport reports that its GuardianAI is a multi-agent system AI engine that proactively monitors social media and news outlets, rapidly detecting and addressing online abuse towards athletes by instantly reporting incidents, crafting legal takedowns, and identifying athletes at risk of harassment. According to the company, GuardianAI technology continuously monitors social media and other online platforms to identify abusive content directed at athletes. It implements countermeasures, such as spotlighting abuse, and includes advanced features like deepfake detection to flag harmful content quickly and accurately. This proactive approach is designed to help protect athletes from online abuse and supports their mental well-being by reducing the frequency and impact of abusive messages.

What’s next for SentientSports?  

The company has chosen to use Floww’s innovative infrastructure to facilitate its funding efforts in its aim to achieve its future goals. SentientSports is currently seeking to grow its commercial team, expand its datasets and further develop GuardianAI. According to the company, it will also prepare global patents to ensure the protection of key models, and has plans to expand into new sports, with the aim of capturing markets in locations such as the US and India.

SentientSports anticipates several of its proprietary AI models that drive its products will be ready for patenting post-investment, and the company has traction with some of the leading global sports brands to deploy its AI technology.

As of Q2 2024, according to the company, SentientSports has collaborated with over 30 football teams across Europe, gaining valuable experience and insights before pivoting to its current verticals. The company reports it is in discussions with some of the biggest rights-holders and sports teams to secure pilot projects, demonstrating strong interest and potential for widespread adoption of its cutting-edge technologies.

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