AI to disrupt sports and media landscape in 2026, warns IMG report

IMG’s annual report, which explores the technologies and developments that will shape the sport and media landscape for rightsholders in 2026, highlights the ‘disruptive force’ of AI throughout.

The report, now in its eighth year, also ranks the 12 most influential third-party media platforms for the global sports industry. For the first time, the power rankings also feature a list of the most important platforms for engaging audiences in China.

This year’s edition has crowned YouTube as the priority platform for the sports industry for the second year running, citing its ability to reach new audiences across a variety of media formats, drive revenue, and deliver audience analytics, followed by Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook. Spotify has broken into the list for the first time, in recognition of the platform’s potential for the sports industry and the increasing cultural crossover between sports and entertainment. Meanwhile, Douyin has come out on top in China.

Headline predictions from the Digital Trends Report 2026 include:

• More is more is more: According to the report, the age of quality over quantity is over. Sports brands can no longer rely on infrequent, polished content. They must publish high-quality, high-volume material across every platform all the time. Success lies in being consistently visible, authentic, and responsive, using AI to streamline workflows but investing heavily in creative talent and resources. The brands that scale up production without sacrificing purpose or originality will dominate attention and engagement.

• Do all roads lead to Amazon? Amazon reportedly now sits at the intersection of sports, technology, and fan experience. From AWS-powered AI insights to live streaming and integrated commerce, its ecosystem connects rights, data, and retail like no other. To stay competitive, rightsholders must develop platform-specific Amazon strategies, address data governance and IP ownership, and design content tailored for its AI-driven, commerce-first environment, where content and transaction blend seamlessly.

• Handling discovery when fans outsource decision-making: AI assistants and agentic search tools are increasingly deciding what fans see, buy, and attend, removing human choice from discovery. As zero-click searches and AI summaries dominate, sports brands risk invisibility unless they adapt. The new discipline of generative engine optimisation (GEO) demands authoritative, structured, human-authored content that AI agents can trust and cite. Future success means becoming the verified source that machines, not just people, recommend.

• Main character energy: The report also found that the digital era favours people over institutions, with fans following creators, not corporations. As platforms prioritise individual voices, sports organisations must develop on-camera talent, empower players and creators, and embrace two-way communication to build parasocial trust. Those that humanise their brands and collaborate with creator ecosystems will stay relevant, while those that cling to traditional broadcast control risk cultural obscurity.

• The world speaks one language: Real-time AI translation has made content globally accessible, but not culturally meaningful – the researchers highlighted. True localisation still depends on human understanding of tone, humour, and relevance. To resonate worldwide, sports brands must maintain quality control, invest in regional ambassadors, and create locally authentic narratives rather than relying on machine-translated messaging. Being local as well as fluent is now the key to global growth.

• The short form fallacy: Short form video dominates feeds, but mistaking virality for value is a strategic trap. The research revealed that while Shorts, Reels, and TikToks are vital for discovery, long-form content builds fandom, retention, and revenue. Modern audiences crave depth, not just dopamine hits. Sports organisations must balance formats, using short clips to attract attention but guiding fans toward podcasts, live streams, and storytelling that sustain engagement and emotional connection.

•  Gen Alpha stake their claim on RedNote: In China, Gen Alpha’s internet was found to revolve around Xiaohongshu (RedNote), a hybrid of search, social, and shopping that has become the country’s discovery engine. For global sports brands, an authentic presence there is non-negotiable. Winning on RedNote means building trust through native, community-driven content, collaborating with local creators, and optimising for AI-based discoverability. In this ecosystem, influence is earned through authenticity, not advertising.

The 2026 Platform Power Rankings are as follows:

Platform Power Rankings: China

1.          Douyin

2.          WeChat

3.          Kuaishou

4.          RedNote

5.          Weibo

6.          Bilibili

Platform Power Rankings: Rest Of World

1.          YouTube

2.          Instagram

3.          TikTok

4.          Facebook

5.          X

6.          Reddit

7.          Spotify

8.          WhatsApp

9.          Snapchat

10.        Twitch

11.        Substack

12.        Threads

Lewis Wiltshire, Senior Vice President (SVP) and Managing Director of IMG Digital, said: “Each edition has reflected the evolution of our digital world, and for the first time you’ll see AI is threaded throughout our predictions as the heart of all change for our industry. But amidst the technological advances, we predict that human creativity and local insight will matter more than ever as we move into 2026.”

At IBC2025, Caretta Research’s Angeliki Megariti stated: “The biggest barrier for broadcast and media buyers is a lack of AI skills”. Discover more here.