Sports and entertainment are meeting fans wherever they already are

Sports content is being rebuilt for audiences who consume entertainment in vertical feeds and 30-second windows. Rights holders, venues and brands are creating new formats, removing friction and giving fans roles as builders and participants.

Johan Cruijff ArenA in Amsterdam opened an AI-powered cashierless bar. Smartphone wallets and tracking technology let visitors take a drink without queuing or checking out, reducing the time spent away from the match. The model adapts Amazon's Just Walk Out system to a stadium concourse.

Delta Airlines partnered with DraftKings on a free, skill-based sports prediction game for its flights. Passengers compete for gift cards without gambling mechanics. The game gives passengers a sports activity during the flight and does not require Wi-Fi.

Live Nation launched a tycoon-style game on Roblox where players design and manage their own virtual music festivals, with real-world artist lineups and brand partnerships built into the gameplay. Rather than advertising festivals to Roblox's young audience, Live Nation lets them run one. Players become promoters years before they'd attend a real show.

Trend bite
Sports and live entertainment go to the audience rather than the audience going to them. A stadium concourse, a middle seat, a game engine: wherever the audience already spends time, the experience needs to be there too.