57% of Brands Can't Prove ROI on Sports Fan Engagement Despite Rising Investment

Infobip’s new global research reveals a gap between higher spend and measurable ROI

VODNJAN, Croatia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Research commissioned by Infobip, the global AI-first cloud communications platform celebrating 20 years, shows brands are significantly increasing investment in sports fan engagement even as many struggle to prove business impact.

The global study of 500 marketing and digital leaders across industries, including retail, financial services, telecoms, travel, and food & beverage in 11 markets found that brands currently allocate an average of 13% of annual marketing budgets to sports-related activations, and nearly 73% expect investment to increase over the next 12 months. Yet while live sports moments generate the highest levels of fan engagement, nearly half (47%) of organizations admit they struggle to deliver real-time engagement during live events, and more than half (57%) say it is difficult to prove the ROI of their sports marketing investments.

Ben Lewis, VP Marketing and Growth at Infobip, said: “Half of brands can't prove the ROI of their sports marketing – that's not a measurement problem, it's an infrastructure problem. AI and conversational channels like RCS turn every fan interaction into a trackable touchpoint, so brands can finally connect spend to results.”

At the same time, the report shows a strong appetite for AI-powered engagement. 87% of respondents say AI is critical to the future of sports fan engagement, and AI-driven content and journey automation were among the top improvements brands said would have the greatest impact. As brands increase investment in sports engagement, orchestration, connected data, and real-time interactions are becoming essential to delivering personalized fan experiences at scale.

To support this shift, Infobip recently launched PitchMate, an AI-powered fan engagement solution for global football audiences built on its AgentOS platform, turning real-time fan interactions into trackable touchpoints across the fan journey. In Latin America, Claro Sports launched an AI assistant using Infobip’s platform and Google’s RCS technology, giving Mexican sports fans real-time scores, athlete alerts, and interactive experiences across messaging channels.

Over the past two decades, customer communications have evolved from one-way messaging to intelligent, conversational engagement at scale. As fan expectations rise, brands that combine data, automation, and conversational channels will be best positioned to deliver measurable business results.

Read the survey here: The sports fan engagement report for brands.

About Infobip

Infobip is a global cloud communications platform that enables businesses to build connected experiences across all stages of the customer journey, with AI as the driving force of innovation.