AI Is Reviving Creativity: How Sports and Entertainment Are Redefining Fan Engagement

A new generation of AI isn’t here to replace creativity- it’s here to amplify it. Across sports and entertainment, smart technologies are reshaping how fans connect, engage, and experience their favorite moments like never before.

The NBA, for one, announced a multiyear collaboration with Alibaba Cloud on October 9, seeking to transform how fans interact with basketball through enhanced live viewing and new digital applications.

“It is an exciting time at the intersection of sports and technology,” said Brooklyn Nets Governor Joe Tsai. “AI and cloud technologies are enablers of connection — between player and fan, brand and consumer, global vision and local culture.”

Yet, while the sports world has embraced AI’s potential to enhance engagement and connection, the entertainment industry is still divided, torn between the promise of innovation and the fear of losing its authenticity. Production companies have somewhat welcomed this entertainment revolution, but moviegoers remain skeptical, arguing that AI-generated content feels impersonal and unprofessional. 

As creative industries navigate this period of hesitation, many see untapped potential. Sports may be leading the charge, but entertainment’s slower adoption opens up space for thoughtful and critical integration of new technologies. 

When Hollywood meets AI  

Companies like Netflix are already using AI to enhance image production, optimize visual effects, and even make actors appear younger on screen, and in September 2024, entertainment giant Lionsgate similarly announced a partnership with AI research company Runway to develop a model trained on Lionsgate’s own film library.

“We’re confident that AI is going to help us and help our creative partners tell stories better, faster, and in new ways. We’re all in on that, but we’re not chasing novelty for novelty’s sake,” Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos told TechCrunch.

In 2025, however, Disney and Marvel faced backlash over an alleged AI-generated poster for The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Despite a Marvel spokesperson telling The Wrap that no AI was used, fans remained critical, pointing to inconsistencies in the image- including characters’ missing fingers.

“There are tons of people who are using AI, but they can’t admit it publicly because you still need artists for a lot of work,” said VFX industry veteran David Stripinis, who has worked on blockbusters like Avatar, while in conversation with The Hollywood Reporter. 

Earlier in the year, Hungarian editor Dávid Jancsó admitted to using AI to modify actors’ dialogue in the Oscar-nominated The Brutalist so they sounded more authentically Hungarian, as well as in the movie’s final scene. Critics argued that it was a “disgrace” to use the technology to “avoid paying visual artists for their work.” 

The debate, then, extends beyond the blurring of ethical lines in entertainment production. It also includes conversations on cultural appropriation, creative ownership, and authenticity. 

Regardless, AI’s use in filmmaking is not entirely new, according to the Arts Management & Technology Laboratory. Projects have been using the technology in their production since the early 2000s- especially for special effects. 

As per Louis Heaton, senior lecturer in digital film and TV production at London Metropolitan University, what is changing is its reach. 

“I suspect the use of AI in production will become increasingly common and openly admitted, particularly for what might be seen as minor labour-intensive work such as generative backgrounds, crowd scenes and the like,” he told CNN.

Still, many creatives continue to worry AI could replace rather than support talent. AI-enhanced productions like Netflix’s El Eternauta and What Jennifer Did have deepened controversies in boasting faster and cheaper visual effects, but raising criticism on potential job losses. 

Regardless, the technology can be a useful tool to enhance creativity in the entertainment industry. In production, AI can support writing processes, simplify budgeting and scheduling, and provide an eagle-eyed view on casting insights. 

Independent film producer Taylor Nixon-Smith, for instance, claims using AI as a dyslexic creative supports his writing process, and that the technology allows “more texture to be layered,” onto films. 

On the flipside, AI allows audiences to access tailored experiences within an ever-expansive entertainment scene. With personalized recommendation systems, dynamic interfaces, and adaptive storytelling, audiences can better choose what they consume with the certainty they will enjoy it. 

New players entering the arena

The AI frenzy of the 2020s began with the launch of OpenAI’s ChatGPT in 2022, but others have identified opportunities for the technology’s assistance across sectors. Emerging players, like Oncemore.io, are proving that a new generation of AI platforms are shifting their focus from productivity to participation. 

Launched in October 2025, Oncemore.io gained 1.9 million visitors and one million registered users across sixty countries in under 48 hours- surpassing ChatGPT’s viral ascent. But, unlike traditional content platforms where fans passively consume posts about their favorite films, athletes, or games, Oncemore.io transforms fandom into a living, breathing experience.

In its inaugural partnership with the Telugu blockbuster They Call Him OG, fans were invited to play themed games to collectively unlock exclusive content. Within just two days, their engagement revealed a digital comic book, with select players receiving physical copies signed by the director. 

Platforms like Oncemore.io don’t use AI to replace human creativity, but to enhance how audiences connect with it, turning fan enthusiasm into meaningful, participatory storytelling.

Tech becomes the storyteller 

As AI continues to reshape both how stories are told and consumed, new innovators are pushing its boundaries further. Companies around the world have seized this newfound opportunity, and are redefining the future of film and digital entertainment in a shift rooted in interactivity and personalization. 

Rather than using AI to write scripts or fabricate scenes, Oncemore.io, for one, leverages algorithms to deepen audience engagement with existing content, helping fans interact with narratives and creators in more meaningful ways.

In sports, companies like WSC Sports and Sportradar are using AI to analyze games, identify key moments, and automatically generate personalized highlight reels for fans. 

Other platforms like Visaic’s VIP and Elevate’s EPIC are extending this approach, helping leagues and entertainment brands deliver interactive, community-driven experiences while gaining deeper insight into audience behavior. 

In a digital age, where users spend an average 110 hours per year scrolling to find something to watch- and 54% of sports fans suffer from attention fatigue- these visionaries’ bet on emotional connection might just be the missing puzzle piece. 

This transformation is not occurring in silo. Rather, audiences are requesting for AI to be organically integrated into their existing entertainment experiences. A 2025 Camgemini study of over 12,000 fans across 11 countries found that 64% want AI to deliver personalized updates, while 27% are willing to pay for such interactive services. 

Meanwhile, Lore, an AI-powered search platform for fandoms, is reshaping how communities build around pop culture. The startup- dubbed the “Library of Alexandria for the fandom age”- raised over $1.1 million USD in pre-seed funding before its launch on October 6, 2025. 

The “fandom epidemic” is therefore evolving, shifting away from platforms like Tumblr, X, Facebook and TikTok to AI-powered technologies that understand and complement entertainment experiences and user needs. 

Beyond the screen

The shift towards AI-powered technologies marks a fundamental change in how creativity, technology, and audiences coexist. By using AI to enhance connection rather than efficiency, companies are redefining what innovation means in entertainment. 

A universal philosophy is thus emerging: technology should amplify connection, not automate it. Major organizations are already embracing this engagement-first approach, using AI to help sports leagues deliver community-driven live experiences- which in turn analyze audience behavior and enable personalized interactions. 

Even content creators are experimenting with AI tools to enhance their engagement. Platforms like Soopra and FanAI allow them to interact with audiences using their own voice while clearly labeling AI-generated responses.

For Akash Mamidi, CEO and Founder at Oncemore.io, the company’s tech-based principles are both about staying relevant in the digital economy and placing humanity at the heart of progress. 

“We’re not replacing creators – we’re amplifying their work. AI helps us build experiences around their content, not substitute for it,” he stated while in conversation with Unite.Ai.

“Think of it like Disney building rides around their movies – the movie is still sacred, but now fans can step into that world. We’re tools for IP holders to deepen fan relationships, with them in full control,” he added. 

Off-screen, the impact is equally profound. Interactive experiences and personalized engagement are helping communities of fans rediscover a sense of belonging in an online-first world, resulting in collaboration, deepened loyalty, and a feedback loop where audiences become more than spectators. 

Developing AI platforms with a consumer-first philosophy is becoming essential for long-term sustainability and trust. Audiences can tell when content feels machine-driven rather than human, and their engagement reflects their awareness. 

Companies like Oncemore.io prove that such a balance is not only aspirational, but practical too. While the line between innovation might become blurred in innovation processes, transparency and participation act as safeguards. 

“As a creative partner, we help creators deliver memorable digital engagements to their fans and make them feel magical [belonging],” Mamidi said. 

A pivotal question remains, however. Can technology designed to bring us closer also distance us from real, human creativity? 

Using AI for Good

AI does not pose an end to creativity. In a suffocating ecosystem, where consumer choices seem infinite, AI is the bridge between entertainers- including athletes, leagues, federations, producers, and writers- and viewers. 

“We use AI as infrastructure, not as the artist. For example, AI powers personalized experiences- putting a fan’s name in a comic book-, generates interactive quests tied to a film’s story, or creates AI characters fans can talk to,” Mamidi noted. 

“The core content – the film, the music, the story – comes from creators. AI just makes it possible to scale personalized, interactive experiences that would’ve cost millions before. Creators keep creative control; we handle the tech.” 

Now, digital entertainment stands at a crossroads. Used irresponsibly, AI risks eroding authenticity and trust. But, when leveraged thoughtfully, it becomes the 21st-century ally for reviving creativity, engagement, and connection.