Brands are aggressively scaling sports-related marketing spend while simultaneously failing to quantify the resulting business impact. A new global study commissioned by Infobip reveals that while 73% of marketing and digital leaders expect to increase sports engagement investments over the next 12 months, 57% of organizations currently struggle to prove the ROI of these activations. This disconnect suggests a significant gap between capital allocation and measurement capabilities.
Increasing Budgets Amidst Measurement Gaps
The research, which surveyed 500 marketing and digital leaders across 11 markets, highlights a growing tension in sports marketing strategy. Currently, brands allocate an average of 13% of their annual marketing budgets to sports-related activations. Despite this significant commitment, the ability to execute effectively during peak moments remains a challenge; 47% of organizations admit they struggle to deliver real-time engagement during live events. This difficulty in real-time execution likely contributes to the broader measurement crisis, as brands find it hard to link high-intensity, live sports moments to specific, trackable business outcomes or long-term customer value.
AI and Conversational Infrastructure Solutions
To address these infrastructure deficits, the industry is pivoting toward AI-driven automation and conversational channels. The study indicates that 87% of respondents view AI as critical to the future of fan engagement, specifically citing AI-driven content and journey automation as high-impact areas. Infobip is positioning its AgentOS platform and new AI-powered solution, PitchMate, to bridge this gap by converting real-time interactions into trackable touchpoints. For example, Claro Sports in Latin America has deployed an AI assistant using Infobip and Google’s RCS technology to provide Mexican fans with real-time scores and athlete alerts, illustrating how conversational tech aims to solve the real-time engagement problem.
Key Takeaways
- 57% of surveyed brands report difficulty proving the ROI of their sports marketing investments.
- Nearly 73% of marketing and digital leaders expect to increase sports engagement spending over the next year.
- 87% of respondents identify AI as a critical component for the future of sports fan engagement.
TechInsyte's Take
In our view, the data reveals that sports marketing is transitioning from a brand-awareness play to a data-orchestration challenge. The inability of 57% of brands to prove ROI suggests that current marketing stacks are insufficient for the high-velocity nature of live sports. This is not merely a lack of analytical tools, but a fundamental infrastructure failure. As brands move toward AI-driven automation and RCS-based conversational channels, the winners will be those who treat fan engagement as a measurable data stream rather than a series of disconnected, unquantifiable moments.
Questions & Answers
How much of the average marketing budget is currently dedicated to sports?
Brands currently allocate an average of 13% of their annual marketing budgets to sports-related activations, according to the Infobip study.
What specific technological shift is being proposed to solve the ROI measurement problem?
The report suggests a shift toward AI-powered orchestration and conversational channels, such as RCS, to turn real-time fan interactions into trackable, measurable touchpoints.
What is the primary barrier to real-time engagement during live events?
The study indicates that 47% of organizations struggle to deliver real-time engagement during live events, pointing to an infrastructure problem rather than a simple measurement issue.
Which industries were included in this global research study?
The study included 500 leaders across various sectors, including retail, financial services, telecoms, travel, and food & beverage.
Source: Businesswire
