Nine out of ten sports fans “consume sports content beyond watching events,” according to research commissioned by IBM, in a survey that found that young people are particularly apt to actively consume sports and that artificial intelligence (AI) is often the technology of choice to do so.

The study, which was conducted by Morning Consult, involved more than 20,000 sports fans from 12 countries.

The survey found that 85% of respondents see value in integrating AI technology into their sports experience, with 63% expressing trust in AI-generated sports content. Fans identify real-time game/match updates (35%) and personalized content (30%) as priorities for AI-enhanced engagement with sports.

Respondents to the survey also report viewing video highlights (51%), post-event recaps (37%) and player interviews (32%).

Other findings from the survey:

• 40% of surveyed mobile sports app users rely on apps for centralized information and 35% for real-time updates when unable to watch games live.
• About one in five F1 (Formula 1), golf, and tennis fans use apps tailored to their favorite sports.
• Eighty-two percent use apps while attending events. Of those, 91% engage with apps during live events, mostly for real-time commentary (44%), stats or analytics (41%), and enhanced in-stadium experiences (35%).
• Multi-device usage to follow sporting events increased from 27% to 29%, among those surveyed this year and last.
• 74% of respondents following sports influencers say storytelling is important to how they experience or connect with sports, especially among fans ages 18-44.

“The sports media landscape is more complex than ever, and fans are comfortable consuming digital content around the clock,” Kameryn Stanhouse, IBM’s Vice President of Sports and Entertainment Partnerships, said in a press release.

“With [sports] fans signaling their readiness to embrace AI, we will continue working with our tournament, league, and media partners to meet fans where they are, whether they’re watching the action in person or enhancing their second-screen experience.”