The age of quality over quantity for sports brands is over, according to marketing agency IMG’s Digital Trends Report 2026. Instead, success lies in being consistently visible, authentic, and responsive, using AI to streamline workflows but investing heavily in creative talent and resources. Additional insights and predictions from the report include:
- To stay competitive, rightsholders must develop platform-specific Amazon strategies, address data governance and IP ownership, and design content tailored for its AI-driven, commerce-first environment where content and transaction blend seamlessly.
- AI assistants and agentic search tools are increasingly deciding what fans see, buy, and attend, removing human choice from discovery. As zero-click searches and AI summaries dominate, sports brands risk being invisible unless they adapt.
- The digital era favors people over institutions, with fans following creators not corporations.
- Real-time AI translation has made content globally accessible, but not culturally meaningful. To resonate worldwide, sports brands must maintain quality control, invest in regional ambassadors, and create locally authentic narratives.
- Modern audiences crave depth, not just dopamine hits. While Shorts, Reels, and TikToks are vital for discovery, long-form content builds fandom, retention, and revenue.
“This year represents our most global trends report to date, capturing insights from our team of more than 200 digital experts across five continents,” said IMG’s SVP & Managing Director, Digital, Lewis Wiltshire. “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.”
