We interview Ethan Gustav, Group President, North America at Infobip (the corporate that permit’s you already know your Uber has arrived)
That is the week main as much as the “Massive Recreation” a/okay/a the Tremendous Bowl, an occasion seen by a median of 122 Million folks in the USA over the previous three years.
Sports activities organizations are solely simply now catching as much as the digital native financial system, exploring new expertise developments that may higher have interaction followers past workforce merchandise and fan cameras within the stands.
Whether or not it’s AI chatbots offering real-time info for followers or real-time cellular messaging and software communications together with your favourite gamers or engagement through predictions quizzes, everyone seems to be in search of methods to be most participating, get a slice of the eye, and new strategies to boost the expertise.
We talked with Ethan Gustav, Group President, North America at Infobip, an omnichannel communications platform that has labored with the Haas F1 Crew and the Los Angeles Rams, to study extra about how the sports activities business is catching as much as tech improvements with reference to fan engagement
WM: What’s the state of buyer engagement within the sports activities business? We see digital contests and video games on the massive display screen and cellular ordering from seats in stadiums. What’s working and the place lies the potential?
Inforbip: In response to our annual fan engagement survey, followers wish to really feel extra related to their groups. Past match-day updates or new merchandise gross sales, followers are hungry for extra private content material that establishes connections, like inspirational participant tales, behind-the-scenes content material and extra in-depth technical content material like movie breakdowns or coach interviews.
Enjoyable, fan-friendly cellular interactions additionally excite audiences and develop loyalty, particularly with as we speak’s digitally native viewers. For instance, certainly one of our companions launched a quiz competitors giving followers an opportunity to win a pair of signed driving gloves from one of many workforce drivers at races all through the season.
WM: Has the sports activities business been slower than others to totally embrace the digital-native financial system? Why and what do you assume has modified not too long ago?
Infobip: A really participating digital fan occasion expertise goes past conventional broadcasting and in-person contact factors, which has been the business’s typical focus. For as we speak’s followers, it’s about dialog. As a substitute of pushing out normal info by way of extra conventional channels like e-mail, sports activities groups and associations are creating two-way, real-time dialogues that put followers on the middle. Most significantly, these conversations are occurring within the channels followers are already utilizing, like textual content messaging, WhatsApp and iMessage.
WM: How are sporting occasions with a worldwide attain just like the World Cup, Superbowl and Olympics accelerating responding to the urgency round fan engagement innovation?
Infobip: Groups throughout world sports activities leagues are tapping into digital channels to create personalised, interactive experiences for followers. For instance, the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams launched the 2025-2026 season schedule to greater than 10,000 followers who might buy game-day tickets by way of trendy RCS textual content messages, and noticed an uptick in each ticket gross sales (60%) and engagement (70%).
Because the groups and organizations concerned with occasions just like the World Cup, Tremendous Bowl and Olympics see their investments in digital engagement repay, by way of elevated ticket and merchandise gross sales, fan loyalty, and so forth., anticipate extra adoption and much more inventive campaigns.
WM: What are frequent challenges in present fan engagement methods and what are tech instruments which can be being developed to deal with fan frustrations? How are followers responding to those new methods?
Infobip: Usually, when sports activities groups do attain out, followers are left underwhelmed and unimpressed. In response to our beforehand talked about survey, two-thirds of followers say they’re disenchanted, for one cause or one other, with their workforce’s makes an attempt to have interaction. Principally, followers discover workforce communication too transactional, too rare, and too generic.
To higher join, sports activities groups are bringing video games to the followers. Interactive trivia quizzes give supporters an opportunity to check their information and win prizes, whereas some are deploying Augmented Actuality (AR) scavenger hunts that may reward followers who discover digital tokens.
AR scavenger hunts might be particularly profitable throughout longer format occasions just like the World Cup. In the course of the months-long event, followers might be invited to hunt for soccer balls at completely different workforce occasions, matches and official retail shops. A digital leaderboard might be up to date in actual time, boosting steady engagement, and winners can earn prizes like merchandise, reductions or loyalty rewards. These extra interactive strategies amplify workforce loyalty and extra importantly, assist followers to be followers.
WM: Do you assume followers are prepared to have interaction in campaigns utilizing cellular apps and SMS that require them to surrender private knowledge? How a lot resistance do you see right here in 2026?
Infobip: Knowledge privateness is important and paramount to Infobip and its companions, particularly in as we speak’s digital-first, cellular world the place customers are doing every part on their telephones, from buying tickets to profitable prizes from their favourite groups.
WM: Please present an outline of Infobip’s industrial providing and the way the expertise works?
Infobip: Infobip will not be an organization you’ve got heard of, however in case you’ve hailed an Uber or ordered a pizza on-line, you’ve got doubtless interacted with its expertise. Infobip is a worldwide communications platform and a unicorn that’s empowered manufacturers to ship greater than 10 billion RCS textual content messages and are those who let you already know your Uber’s out entrance or that your favourite retailer is having a flash deal.
More and more, they’re additionally utilizing AI in modern methods to speak with finish clients. One explicit instance of their work is the WhatsApp messaging marketing campaign it led with Unilever, which generated 14 occasions larger product gross sales in simply seven days.
WM: How can sports activities organizations use Infobip’s omnichannel communication platform?
Infobip: Followers desire a deeper, two-way relationship with their groups that retains them engaged all year long, not simply on match days. With AI and different new applied sciences, equivalent to Conversational AI Gamification, sports activities organizations can create personalised, real-time fan experiences that construct loyalty and drive participation.
Infobip’s AI-driven chatbots on platforms like WhatsApp and Wealthy Communication Companies (RCS) allow followers to immediately ask questions, entry unique content material, and obtain updates 24/7.
WM: How have these new tech instruments advanced as we close to a sports-heavy 2026?
Infobip: From F1 to American Soccer and even Cricket, sports activities groups throughout leagues are utilizing Infobip’s platform to ship next-generation engagement with followers — from real-time match alerts and early ticket gross sales to seamless personalised assist.
As we enter right into a sports-heavy 2026, organizations that commit enhanced digital communications will profit from higher fan relationships, elevated merchandise gross sales, larger viewership and participation, and new income streams.
WM: Are you able to share a “case examine” or market instance with us? (F1 or LA Rams).
Infobip: F1 case examine has been talked about, however yow will discover the complete case examine intimately right here:
WM: What classes can different sports activities organizations study from Infobip’s work with Haas F1 Crew and the Los Angeles Rams?
Infobip: Infobip is already remodeling fan engagement for main sports activities organizations worldwide. Infobip deploys AI-powered chatbots and messaging platforms like WhatsApp to supply real-time interactions. Within the US, Infobip companions with the Los Angeles Rams to boost fan communication by way of Apple Messages for Enterprise, delivering unique content material and prompt updates.
In the meantime, in Latin America, Infobip teamed up with Claro Sports activities to develop a classy AI-powered chatbot utilizing Google’s Wealthy Communication Companies (RCS), providing Mexican sports activities followers real-time scores, athlete notifications, and interactive experiences throughout a number of messaging channels.
These are just some examples of how sports activities groups can use Infobip’s tech to deliver followers nearer to the motion and enhance loyalty.
Editors Be aware:
Infobip is a worldwide cloud communications platform that permits companies to construct related experiences throughout all levels of the shopper journey, with AI because the driving pressure of innovation. By means of a single, natively constructed platform, Infobip delivers omnichannel engagement, id, consumer authentication and speak to middle options that assist companies and companions overcome the complexity of client communications whereas driving progress and growing buyer loyalty.
Infobip is targeted on enabling and accelerating AI adoption because it continues its transformation into an AI-first firm. Infobip’s expertise has the capability to succeed in over seven billion cellular gadgets in 6 continents related to over 10k+ connections of which 800+ are direct operator connections. The corporate was established in 2006 and is led by its co-founders, CEO Silvio Kutić and Izabel Jelenić.
