AI is the future, and it’s playing a transformative role in sports.

Shripal Shah is a sports and retail industry veteran, here to share all of the latest innovations in AI in 2025, including how tools like Persado are contributing to $5 million dollars in ticket sales for half a dozen baseball teams in the MLB. 

Dave and Shripal discuss AI-driven content creation, how overseas teams are experimenting with AI to predict crowd noises, and specifically, how AI is no longer a “nice to have.” It’s completely reshaping fan engagement, marketing strategies, predictive analytics, and even scouting operations.

Shripal also explores ethical considerations as it relates to bias in AI language models, along with a wealth of interesting stats, including what % of Fortune 500 retailers are now using AI-driven subject lines in their emails.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

• Why AI-generated content is the next frontier in sports media (and what it means for teams and broadcasters)
• The challenges and ethical considerations of AI in sports, from bias in AI models to media rights concerns
• How AI-powered ticketing and marketing tools are driving MILLIONS in revenue for teams
• The impact of AI on scouting and player recruitment
• Shripal’s take on how the retail industry is shaping AI adoption in sports businesses

Resources and Links:

The AI tools Shripal mentions in this episode include Persado, WSC Sports, and IBM Watson.

Connect with Shripal Shah, Chief Digital Officer at Next League, on LinkedIn.

Learn more about Next League on our website and LinkedIn. We are leading sports organizations into the digital future.

Next League is partnering with Sports Business Journal for the Rising Woman of the Year Award. Nominations are now open! Learn more here.