Football Media, a leading sponsorship and digital advertising agency, has launched the world’s first football-dedicated AI agent, DEANE AI.
AI has rapidly become one of the most transformative technologies of the last decade, with applications emerging across industries globally, from banks using AI to combat fraud, to e-commerce companies enhancing customer experience.
However, AI’s potential in sports is proving to be especially innovative, forecasted to potentially become a $19.2bn sector by 2030
Football clubs like Liverpool have already leveraged the technology to boost on-field performance. However, Dean Akinjobi, CEO of Football Media, believes AI can also revolutionise sponsorships and activations.
He said: “DEANE AI stands at the forefront of innovation, leveraging predictive analytics to pinpoint ideal club partnerships, enhance fan engagement, and optimise creative messaging. Our mission is to empower brands, clubs, and federations to maximise sponsorship returns”
The agent aims to accommodate brands seeking data-driven, scalable and ROI-focused sponsorship strategies by using the power of AI.
Sponsorships and commercial partnerships have become a staple revenue source for every club. However, finding the right partnerships which offer both monetary and fan value has proven to be difficult.
Last year, several Premier League clubs signed deals with Asian-facing casinos, which are inaccessible to UK residents. This left many supporters feeling that other brands might have been a better fit.
Akinjobi explained that DEANE AI aims to address this by offering data-driven insights through advanced analytics. The agent can recommend optimal club affiliations and sponsorship activations.
Once clubs and brands have partnered, engaging with fans through activations often presents another hurdle. Akinjobi noted that DEANE AI will ensure that the right audiences are reached with the right content.
This is something being explored in Germany, with the Bundesliga already using AI to enhance its fan content, enabling writers to transform written articles into short-form videos for other platforms.
The third key feature Akinjobi highlighted about the solution is its ability to support global scalability. Aston Villa, for example, partnered with sportsbook Betano to engage more with South American fans – a market where Betano has a strong presence.
