If you’re a fan of sports, you’re likely aware of the growing popularity of fantasy sports. It’s an incredible opportunity for anyone to step into the digital arena and become a gladiator. To me, fantasy sports represent two concentric circles, with sports at the center and technology constantly expanding to reach individuals in remote corners of the country.
Traditionally, fan engagement has been one-sided, from radio to TV to stadiums. However, now fantasy sports allow each person to build their own strategy and showcase their abilities, proving they can outdo millions on a given day. With the powerful partnership of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Augmented Reality (AR), the game is transformed into an immersive and dynamic experience far beyond the scoreboard.
Data: Building Engagement Through Information
Content Curation with AI
Many fantasy league companies constantly strive to provide their customers with the latest and most accurate information about sports or players. This information is crucial to keep users engaged on the platform. Currently, brands have to rely on a team of content creators to manually sift through vast amounts of online content and update the platform with information for each player, league, and game. This process requires a lot of time and effort, which can be challenging for many companies.
We recognized this labor-intensive and crucial work as an opportunity to solve the problem by leveraging AI. Our AI-powered solution not only goes through various sources to gather information but also generates visually appealing content for the end user. This way, users can easily access and utilize the information they need to build their draft strategy.
Personalized Chatbot Assistant
In addition to providing updated information, we also realized the importance of helping users engage with the platform. To this end, we developed a personalized chatbot assistant that provides users with past information, clips, audios, and images. This not only improves engagement but also enables customers to build their strategies more effectively.
Adding Sentiment Analysis and Mindful Gamification
Have you ever considered what happens when people drop out of fantasy games after losing or show frustration while talking to the chatbot or creating a draft? What if the chatbot could provide emotional support and motivational coaching in such situations? Sentiment analysis can be used to understand the user’s text or voice, and the chatbot can offer motivational documentaries for users to watch when they’re feeling down. Additionally, the chatbot can help create a step-by-step tutorial for drafting.
The combination of AI and fantasy sports is something we’ve all been waiting for, and now that it’s here, we should use it as a co-pilot to build strategies and game plans that lead us to victory.
As we developed these use cases, we realized that it’s not just past data that’s important but also the external environment that affects decision-making, from weather conditions to player health and even psychological factors. We can build a better draft by using all of this data in projections.
AR Overlays: Immersive Viewing with Real-Time Fantasy Data
While we delved into the more serious aspects of this sport, we also came to the realization that fantasy players crave enjoyment. Just picture yourself watching your favorite sports with fellow competitors, all while being immersed in AR overlays that display real-time stats and live fantasy point projections above the players. Who wouldn’t relish some lighthearted banter and the ability to share avatars and emoticons with their rivals? Wouldn’t it be exciting to view all of this in a virtual stadium, with the avatars of real-life people serving as spectators right beside you? And what if you could create your own mascot and bring it to life on the sidelines during every key event in the game?
Drafting in Your Living Room
The idea of projecting your AR mock draft on your coffee table, visualizing and comparing players side by side in AR, is fascinating. AR can showcase not just your stats but also play motivational quotes and highlights and even reveal your favorite players’ rivalries and personal stories.
Victory Celebrations
The possibility of celebrating wins or team wins in a league with AR-enhanced trophies, taking photos with the team in AR, and sharing them on other social channels would be exciting too.
Data Clean Room – The Shared Playground
- Data as the New Soil: A secure data clean room gathers information from leagues, news outlets, social media, and betting markets, allowing brands to share insights for tailored advertising without compromising player privacy.
- Collaboration Without Compromise: Provides an opportunity to share data for enhanced ads without compromising the personal identity of the end user.
There are limitless possibilities of AI and AR in fantasy sports. This developing partnership promises to reshape the game, offering a vibrant, interactive, and data-driven experience that surpasses the traditional scorecard. So, get ready to unleash your inner strategist, embrace the digital cheer, and step into a fantasy world where you’re not just a fan; you’re the MVP.
is an Associate Director in Media and Entertainment Domain of Product Engineering Services at Happiest Minds Technologies Limited. He has 14+ years of extensive experience in digital transformation and Product Engineering. Shantanu is passionate about Product Management, New technologies and GTM strategies.