AI will reshape sports and media in 2026: a field guide for PR and communications
IMG's Digital Trends Report 2026 puts AI at the center of what's next for sports and media. For PR and comms teams, the message is clear: content volume is going up, platforms are shifting, and machines will influence what fans see first.
This isn't theory. It's a rework of your content ops, your talent strategy, your data policies, and how you earn visibility in AI-led discovery. Here's what to know and what to do.
Platform priorities for 2026
YouTube holds the top spot again for reach, revenue, and analytics, with Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook close behind. Spotify enters the global list for the first time, signaling the pull of audio and the creator-culture crossover.
Platform Power Rankings: Rest of World
- 1. YouTube
- 2. Instagram
- 3. TikTok
- 4. Facebook
- 5. X
- 6. Reddit
- 7. Spotify
- 8. WhatsApp
- 9. Snapchat
- 10. Twitch
- 11. Substack
- 12. Threads
Platform Power Rankings: China
- 1. Douyin
- 2. WeChat
- 3. Kuaishou
- 4. RedNote (Xiaohongshu)
- 5. Weibo
- 6. Bilibili
Seven shifts you need to plan for
- More is more (with intent): The "few polished posts" era is done. Scale high-quality content across formats and platforms using AI-assisted workflows, without losing originality or purpose.
- Amazon as a distribution-commerce engine: Amazon sits where rights, streaming, data, and shopping meet. Build Amazon-specific content plans, clarify data/IP ownership, and design for a commerce-first feed. See how AWS for Sports fuels insights.
- AI-led discovery and GEO: Fans will rely on AI assistants and agentic search. Practice Generative Engine Optimisation: authoritative, structured, human-authored content that agents can verify and cite.
- Main character energy: People beat logos. Develop on-camera talent, empower players and creators, and build two-way conversations that form parasocial trust.
- Local beats literal: AI translation spreads content, but cultural resonance still needs human judgment. Use regional voices and quality control to earn relevance, not just reach.
- Short form for reach, long form for retention: Reels, Shorts, and TikToks spark discovery. Podcasts, live streams, and deeper storytelling build fandom and revenue.
- Gen Alpha on RedNote (China): Xiaohongshu blends search, social, and shopping for the next generation. Influence there is earned through native, community-first content and local creator ties.
Why this matters for PR and communications
PR isn't just press and crisis anymore. It's always-on content, creator partnerships, AI-ready assets, and measurable audience movement across channels you don't fully control.
As Lewis Wiltshire, SVP and Managing Director of IMG Digital, puts it: "For the first time you'll see AI is threaded throughout our predictions as the heart of all change for our industry. But amidst the technological advances, we predict that human creativity and local insight will matter more than ever as we move into 2026."
Immediate actions checklist
- Stand up a GEO playbook: Publish FAQs, explainers, stats pages, and structured data. Use clear bylines, citations, and consistent naming so AI agents can trust and reference you.
- Rebuild content ops for volume: Set a daily short-form cadence per platform. Batch with AI tools, but keep human editors for tone, accuracy, and narrative.
- Commit to long-form pillars: Anchor each campaign with a docuseries episode, podcast, deep-dive article, or live stream. Use shorts as feeders, not the finish line.
- Create a creator bench: Train spokespeople, spotlight players, and sign creator partners. Align incentives to sharing and community building, not just launches.
- Localise with people, not just machines: Hire regional editors or ambassadors. Adapt jokes, references, and calls to action to fit local culture.
- Design for Amazon: Audit what you can sell or link directly in-stream. Clarify data rights, measurement, and brand safety in your contracts.
- China experiments: Pilot content on Douyin and RedNote with native formats, local voices, and community collabs. Avoid copy-pasting Western playbooks.
- Measurement that ties to outcomes: Track discovery-to-retention funnels. Attribute how shorts drive long-form watch time, sign-ups, and sales.
- AI skills gap: Acknowledge it and fix it. As one industry analyst noted at a major broadcast conference, the biggest barrier is a lack of AI skills.
Team skills and training
Upskill your comms team on AI content workflows, GEO basics, and multi-platform analytics. It pays off fast once volume and complexity spike.
If you need a head start, explore role-based options here: AI courses by job.
Bottom line
AI will set the pace in 2026, but humans will set the tone. The brands that scale content with precision, bet on people, and earn machine trust will hold attention-and keep it.
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