AI is redefining the future of sports: Startups can now get in the game

Like other industries, sports leagues, teams and tournaments produce a mind-boggling amount of data, whether that be player analytics, fan viewership and more. Yet, until recently, much of that data has remained underutilized in the world of sports, compared to most other mature industries. AI is now changing that paradigm—changing the game—entirely.

Across teams, leagues, broadcasters and more, AI is becoming a major player that is reshaping decision-making. The sports industry is positioned to reap enormous benefits from a wave of newly launched startups that treat these sports entities like the full-time, year-round, big-business opportunities that they are.

The startups driving this shift are not building incremental enhancements; they are defining the foundational architecture for a sector ripe for large-scale transformation—making what was previously unmeasurable now measurable.

What does this mean, and where does the opportunity sit for sports entities?

• For fans: AI delivers real-time insights during broadcasts, personalized content, immersive digital engagement and next-generation stadium experiences that deepen connection and extend engagement beyond the event itself.
• For teams and leagues: AI ingests and analyzes performance data at unprecedented speed and scale, from player tracking and biomechanics, to understanding the nuances in sports-domain specific strategy, turning complexity into actionable intelligence. AI is also able to analyze the effectiveness of in-arena operations and determine how to scale fan engagement efforts, by entering new geographies or tapping into new audience groups, for example.
• For players: With the influx of wearables and new health tech, players and coaches have new data on health monitoring. AI also provides never-before-seen insights, stats and summaries that can help uncover new patterns and insights to up their game.

With so much innovation happening across the entire ecosystem of the business of sports, competitive advantage will increasingly hinge on how effectively organizations’ teams leverage AI into their strategy.

For more than 35 years, IBM has been a trusted innovation partner to the world’s most iconic sporting institutions, from The Masters, Wimbledon, the US Open, Formula 1 and UFC. We have shaped how the world watches, analyzes and interacts with sports, and we see the industry entering a generational inflection point.

The startups operating at the intersection of sports and tech are not developing isolated features. They are building the digital infrastructure that will define how the global sports ecosystem functions for decades.

The IBM Sports Tech Startup Challenge will include showcases, at Web Summit Rio, Web Summit Vancouver and Web Summit Lisbon, as well as on the sidelines of major tech events like a16z Tech Week 2026 in New York and San Francisco. The showcases provide a platform for the founders where innovation happens, giving startups the opportunity to pitch their solutions in front of captivated audiences around the globe.

Showcases provide exposure not only to media and the public, but to key decision makers on the IBM Ventures and IBM Sports & Entertainment Partnerships teams, venture capital funds and technology leaders who can offer guidance and meaningful connections.

At the close of 2026, startups may be invited, at IBM’s discretion, to the IBM Sports Tech Startup Prize Competition at Web Summit Lisbon to pitch their sports tech solution and compete for the prize. Pitches will be judged by executives from the IBM Ventures and IBM Sports & Entertainment Partnerships team, celebrity athletes and VC industry leaders.

The winning startup may receive a paid proof of concept worth up to USD 100,000 with the IBM Sports and Entertainment Partnerships team subject to applicable approvals.

The IBM Sports Tech Startup Challenge isn’t just a pitch competition. It’s a launchpad for the next generation of AI in sports.

IBM Ventures is focusing on growth-stage startups (Seed to Series B, not MVP to Seed) focused on sports tech devoted to enhancing the business of sports. In its evaluations, IBM Ventures considers factors such as strategic relevance, team make up, product quality, market size and financials.

We’re meeting founders where innovation happens. From official Web Summit events around the globe to NY and SF Tech Weeks to the sidelines of major global sporting events like the British Grand Prix and Wimbledon, IBM will host startup showcases to surface the most exciting AI-driven sports startups worldwide.

We would love to see you there. Apply below for a chance to participate in one of our showcase events, taking place at:

• May 11-15: Web Summit Vancouver
• June 1-5: NY Tech Week
• June 8-11: Web Summit Rio
• Oct 5-11: San Francisco Tech Week
• Nov 10-11: Web Summit Lisbon

At IBM Ventures, we’re not just investing in the future of sports; we’re helping to build it. We are seeking visionary founders developing enterprise-ready, AI-powered solutions that unlock meaningful competitive, operational and commercial outcomes for sports organizations worldwide. If you are a global startup shaping the next era of sports technology, we want to hear from you.

Let’s build the future of the game, together.

Apply today