Artificial intelligence (AI) keeps advancing, and the application of AI technology expands as more and more industries increasingly adopt it.
AI finds heavy usage in the e-commerce industry, as companies use it to predict trends, analyze performance, help them manage inventories, and more. The finance industry is another that has lent into AI and is using it to help customers access information about their banking and accounts andallow banks todetect unusual patterns in activity to identify instances of fraud. Healthcare, too, has cottoned on to the advantages of AI, using it to supportadministrative tasks and, on the more interesting side, helping doctors with diagnoses.
So, it’s no surprise that AI usage is also growing in sports. Below is a look at how AI is helping the NFL and its players.
Preventing Injury
Being on the bench because of injury is a player’s worst nightmare, but the NFL is trying to ensure players don’t have sleepless nights. Thanks to its partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS) to create the Digital Athlete.
The tool uses AI and machine learning to build a complete picture of the players’ experience. This incredibly clever technology captures game day data and lots of other tracking data from other sources, combined with variable data such as weather conditions, equipment, etc., to create different scenarios and inform teams of the players at the most significant risk of injury.
The technology also simulates moments of play to help teams understand how an injury occurred. Teams can then draw up a plan for preventing injuries to players and training and recovery from injury. They can also gain an idea of a player’s maximum training volume while still being able to minimize injury.This is all good news for the fans, who will likely see more of their favorite players on the gridiron.
Improving Performance
AI implementation in the NFL isn’t just about steering clear of injury andboosting their performance. The teams use the AI to capture massive amounts of data during games — such as speed and acceleration — and analyze performance. They then use the data to devise the best training programs for each player.
It’s not just about individual performance but also performance as a team. Previously, coaches and players had to undergo tedious, time-consuming analysis by studying video footage to evaluate performance, identify their team’s and rivals’ strengths and weaknesses, and form strategies. Now, AI helps coaches spot patterns and createpredictive models so that coaches can make tactical changes that could drive their teams to victory and make games more exciting for fans.
Enhancing Fan Engagement
The NFL has tried to bring the league and its stars closer to the fans, which it has managed to achieve by driving engagement with the league through social media and content marketing.
However, the marketers can’t take all the credit for fan engagementbecause AI is also encouraging greater engagement with the league. This is thanks toAI providing real-time statsand highlights in the NFL app during games, creating a more immersive experience for fans. The NFL is working on this by trying to sync the stats with the broadcasts so it becomes even more immersive.
It’s Nearly Super Bowl Time.
Super Bowl 2025 takes place on February 9, and you can bet many fans will be checking out the Super Bowl odds and wagering on the outcome. AI will have an unseen hand in this, as the AI collects lots of data and helps the sportsbooks make predictions about the consequences of games. The Detroit Lions are the favorites to lift the Lombard Trophy this time.
The growing use of AI in the NFL means the league and other parties mustmanage expectations carefully. Harnessing AI to present stats in realtime will create fans’ expectations that the most important stats of players and games will be available at the touch of a button. This is especially true as the NFL has pushed hard to create an immersive experience. Fans will also expect to see their favorite players out on the gridiron rather than sittinginjured on a bench on the sidelines.
AI technology is advancing rapidly, and industries already implementing it can expect to see AI technology enjoy a greater and greater presence as time goes by. The NFL is now using AI to protect players and help them improve their performance. AI is also helping the league to engage fans by providing them with a more immersive experience and assisting players to avoid injury,creatingthe reasonable expectation of seeing their favorite players more often on the gridiron.
Sources
https://www.forbes.com/sites/qai/2023/01/06/applications-of-artificial-intelligence/
https://www.virtasant.com/ai-today/ai-in-sports-nfl
https://www.oddschecker.com/us/betting/tools/education/how-to-use-ai-for-sports-betting
https://imagination.com/latest/how-gen-ai-will-shape-the-future-of-the-super-bowl/