Aman Dhall, Entrepreneur, shares why the future of sport will no longer have sidelines, as technology, participation, and culture reshape how athletes train, how fans engage, and who truly owns the game. He notes that there was a time when sport was something you watched from a distance—coaching happened behind closed doors, broadcasts were one-way, and fandom ended at the final whistle. That version of sport is quietly fading, and by 2026, it will be defined less by control of infrastructure and more by intelligence, participation, and cultural ownership.
AI will become the new coach
Sport is moving from elite-only science to mass-access intelligence. The global sports AI and analytics market is projected to cross $30 billion by the end of the decade, according to PwC and Deloitte’s Sports Tech Outlook.
In India, where over 90% of academies operate without formal sports science support, as per the KPMG–FICCI Sports Report, advances in computer vision and mobile AI will change this reality.
Visual AI can already analyse movement, posture, and workload through a smartphone camera. By 2026, DIY AI-powered coaching is expected to become mainstream and open doors at the grassroots level.
Fans will move from spectators to co-creators
The second-screen era has evolved into participation-led fandom. Over 60% of live sports viewers now engage simultaneously on mobile, according to Nielsen, while AI-driven personalisation is expected to influence nearly half of sports media consumption by 2026, as projected by Gartner.
Personalised highlights, real-time fan interactions, and digital stadium experiences will further collapse the distance between the field and the feed. This shift will turn fandom into an active, collaborative experience.
Women will shape the future of sports culture
This transformation is as cultural as it is technological. Female athletes are building global communities beyond match days, while women viewers are emerging as analysts, creators, and cultural drivers of sport.
In India, women already account for nearly 40% of the digital sports audience, according to the FICCI–EY Media & Entertainment Report. The women’s sports economy, valued at around ?1,200 crore, is projected to grow fivefold over the next five years, as per Nielsen Sports and BCG.
As personalisation deepens, women will not just consume sport. They will curate narratives, influence sponsorships, and shape the industry’s economics.
A decisive transition
Taken together, these shifts mark a decisive transition. By 2026, sport will be defined by who builds intelligent systems, invites meaningful participation, and reflects culture authentically.
Technology will accelerate this transformation, but relevance, trust, and inclusion will determine who leads the next era of sport.
