The Future of Sports Business:
Finance and Investment
Future Frontiers – The Next Era of AI in Sports
AI-driven developments in video gaming
What are the latest AI-driven developments in video gaming and how are these
influencing the sports industry?
Exploring innovative AI-driven experiences that will transform how fans interact with
sports and teams
How is AI transforming fan engagement and what innovative experiences can we expect
to change how fans interact with sports and teams?
Legal issues regarding use of athlete data in AI models
What legal issues arise from using athlete data in AI models and how can these
challenges be addressed?
Closing the Gender Data Gap: How AI can be used to provide more data and insights
into women’s sports
How can AI be leveraged to close the gender gap and provide deeper insights into
women’s sports?
AI and Sports Broadcasting
AI in commentary: Automated commentary and real-time statistics for live events
How can AI-powered commentary enhance live sports events with automated
real-time statistics?
Highlight generation: AI’s role in selecting and creating highlight reels in real time
What role does AI play in creating and curating highlight reels in real time and what
benefits does it bring to sports broadcasting?
AI-Powered graphics and insights: Enhancing visual displays with advanced metrics
and predictions
How are AI-powered graphics and insights enhancing visual displays with advanced
metrics and predictions during sports events?
Legal liability and ownership issues and contractual protection when using AI in sports
broadcasts
What legal liabilities and ownership issues should broadcasters consider when using AI
in sports?
AI as a Shield: Dealing with Risks at Matches and Safeguarding from
Real-Time Online Abuse and Hate
Use of AI on facial recognition technology
How is AI advancing the use of facial recognition technology for safety and security at
sports events?
Leveraging AI to filter out harmful content and hate speech across social media and
digital platforms
In what way does AI detect and respond to online abuse and how can it be improved to
filter harmful content and hate speech effectively?
The role of AI in reducing the psychological impact of online abuse and offering
support to athletes facing cyber harassment
How can AI help reduce the psychological impact of online abuse and provide
meaningful support to athletes facing cyber harassment?
Legal challenges around pursuing online abuse
What are the legal challenges in pursuing cases of online abuse and how can AI assist in
addressing these issues?
AI in Training and Sports Performance
How AI will advance sports performance analysis with more sophisticated data
collection and predictive models
How will AI revolutionise sports performance analysis and athlete training by integrating
more sophisticated data collection, predictive models and personalised adaptive
systems?
AI for injury prevention and recovery
What role does AI play in injury prevention and recovery and how can it enhance athlete
safety and rehabilitation processes across various sports disciplines?
Wearable AI driven technologies
How can AI technologies address the unique physiological needs of female athletes,
including injury prevention, training and recovery, while leveraging wearable AI-driven
innovations?
Use of athlete data and related legal issues
What are the legal and ethical considerations surrounding the use of athlete data and
AI-driven training systems and how can these challenges be managed effectively?
Legal Strategies for Contracts, Tax, and Rights Enforcement in Sport
AI pricing algorithms / competition law, AI models and ticketing
How do AI pricing algorithms and models impact competition law and what challenges
arise in AI-driven ticketing systems?
Contractual liabilities around AI
What are the contractual liabilities associated with AI in sports and how can these be
managed effectively?
Using AI in litigation
In what ways is AI being used in litigation and what opportunities does it offer to
enhance legal processes?
R&D tax incentives
How can organisations leverage R&D tax incentives to support AI innovations in the
sports sector?
Balancing Innovation and Fair Play: Ethical Challenges of AI in Sports
AI and fair competition: Ensuring that AI does not compromise the integrity of the
game
How can AI be used to ensure fair competition without compromising the integrity of
the game?
Bias in AI algorithms: Addressing the risk of bias in data-driven sports decisions,
including player evaluations and recruitment
What risks does bias in AI algorithms pose to player evaluations, recruitment and other
data-driven sports decisions, and how can these be mitigated?
Exploring the role of AI in sports officiating: Enhancing fairness, transparency and
decision-making.
How can AI assist referees and officials and what are the implications for fairness and
transparency in officiating?
Building ethical frameworks for responsible AI: Preserving fair play and inclusivity in
sport.
How can sports organisations establish ethical frameworks to ensure that AI innovations
are implemented responsibly while preserving the values of fair play and inclusivity?
About this panel: Club and league ownership models are evolving rapidly amid an influx of global investors and record valuations (e.g. Chelsea FC’s £2.5 billion sale). Understanding these investment trends – from foreign takeovers to multi-club empires – is key to future-proofing the sports ecosystem in the UK and beyond.
Global Capital: How are overseas investors (from American private equity to Gulf sovereign wealth) changing the landscape of UK sports ownership, and what do they seek in return?
Multi-Club Models: City Football Group-style networks are on the rise – do multi-club ownership models offer competitive synergy, or do they risk conflicts of interest in leagues?
Skyrocketing Valuations: Billion-pound price tags for clubs are now common – are these valuations sustainable, and how can investors realise a return on investment in the long run?
Fan Trust vs. Profit: New owners promise success, but how can they balance commercial objectives with the traditions and expectations of loyal fan bases to avoid backlash?
About this panel: The sports media landscape is in flux as streaming platforms vie with traditional broadcasters, driving up rights values but also fragmenting how fans watch. This panel examines how to maximise media revenue in this new era without losing the audience, especially in the UK, where both Sky’s pay-TV and the BBC’s free-to-air play pivotal roles.
Streaming Wars: Will streaming services and tech giants eventually overtake traditional TV for live sports, and what would that mean for leagues and broadcasters in the next rights cycle?
Free-to-Air or Paywall: How can rights holders strike a balance between lucrative pay-TV deals and keeping sport accessible on free-to-air channels to reach wider audiences?
Fragmentation Fatigue: Are fans getting worn out by needing multiple subscriptions to follow their teams, and how should the industry address this fragmentation (and the piracy it fuels)?
Next-Gen Viewers: With younger fans consuming sports via highlights and social media, what innovations in content delivery (interactive streams, behind-the-scenes docs, etc.) are needed to engage the next generation?
About this panel: Sports are now a coveted asset class for institutional capital, with annual global investment in sport rising from under $10 billion in 2008 to over $30 billion in 2023. Private equity and investment funds are leading this charge. This panel examines how high finance is reshaping sports – from Premier League club takeovers to F1 and rugby league deals – and what it means for the future of the industry.
Attraction of Sport: What’s driving private equity firms, venture capitalists and sovereign wealth funds to pour money into teams, leagues and media rights, and which areas of the sports ecosystem are they targeting for growth?
Short-Term vs Long-Term: Can the pursuit of ROI by financial investors align with the long-term needs of sports clubs and fans? For example, do cost-cutting and commercialisation by new owners compromise on-pitch success or community values?
Exits and Returns: How do investment funds plan to realise returns from sports holdings – through media revenue growth, expansions, or selling stakes/IPO – and what does a “successful” exit look like in the sports context?
Oversight & Balance: Should there be stricter oversight or rules on private equity stakes and multi-club ownership in sport (to protect competitive balance and tradition), or will market forces self-regulate this influx of capital?
About this panel: World-class facilities have become central to sports business growth. With matchday income comprising just 14% of Premier League revenue, clubs are investing in bigger, smarter venues to boost earning and improve fan experience. This panel looks at the payoffs and challenges of infrastructure projects – from state-of-the-art stadiums and training centres to technology upgrades – shaping the future of sport in the UK.
ROI of Stadiums: New stadium builds and major renovations can cost billions – do the long-term revenue gains (higher attendance, hospitality, naming rights) justify these huge investments, and how do clubs finance them responsibly?
Smart Technology: How are innovations like 5G connectivity, cashless payments, and augmented reality being incorporated into venues to create “smart stadiums” that enhance live fan engagement and spending?
Multi-use Venues: Modern stadiums often double as year-round entertainment hubs. What is the value of designing flexible venues that can host concerts, American football games and other events, and how does this diversification bolster a club’s finances?
Legacy & Community: When pouring money into infrastructure, especially with events like Euro 2028 on the horizon, how can clubs, cities and stakeholders ensure these projects leave a lasting legacy for the community (vs. becoming white elephants after the big event)?
About this panel: Women’s sports are experiencing unprecedented growth and offer a new frontier for investment. The Women’s Super League’s next deal is worth 78% more than the last, and global women’s sports revenues are projected to reach £1.8 billion by 2025. This panel explores how stakeholders can ride this momentum, tapping into new fanbases and revenue streams, while ensuring the women’s game achieves the sustainable footing and visibility it deserves.
Revenue Growth: What strategies are proving effective at monetising women’s sports (e.g. securing sponsors, broadcasting deals, merchandising), and how can leagues and teams further accelerate revenue growth from a relatively smaller base?
Investor Interest: Investors and brands are increasingly eyeing women’s sports as an opportunity – what makes this sector attractive, and how can we ensure that current investment isn’t just a short-term trend but translates into long-term commitment?
Closing the Gap: As more money flows in, how can it be directed to close the resource gap – improving player salaries, training facilities, and grassroots development in women’s sports – and what benchmarks should define success in terms of equality and professionalism?
Independent vs Integrated: Is it better for women’s leagues to develop independently with their own identity, or to align closely with established men’s clubs and competitions for support? Which approach will most effectively grow audiences and ensure the sustainability of the women’s game?