AI is reshaping the Super Bowl and the Olympics - powering personalized viewing, smarter media delivery, and more accountable measurement for advertisers at scale.
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For decades, the Super Bowl and the Olympic Games were the ultimate town squares. They were the pinnacle of shared cultural moments where brands spoke to everyone at once, often with the same :30 script.
But AI is changing that model. These tentpole events are becoming real-time laboratories for personalization, intelligence, and performance accountability, without sacrificing the scale that makes them legendary. We’re seeing a shift from mass spectacles to intelligent platforms where data meets the human experience.
Here’s where the ground is shifting.
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AI is turning uniform broadcasts into adaptive viewing experiences. NBCUniversal is already using AI during the Olympics to generate personalized highlight reels. It’s based on athlete interest, sport preference, and how you actually watch.
The result is still mass reach, but with a layer of relevance that feels personal. We’re able to see past the metrics and to the actual fans behind them.
The iconic Super Bowl spot isn’t going anywhere, but its role is expanding. Brands now use AI to dynamically version creative across streaming, social, and second-screen environments based on real-time performance and engagement signals.
As McKinsey notes in its research on AI-driven personalization, this moves creative from static storytelling to adaptive systems. Your messaging evolves without you having to rebuild entire campaigns from scratch. It’s about work that works.
The Super Bowl and Olympics represent some of the highest media costs in the world. AI now helps ensure those investments work harder.
Deloitte’s work on AI in live sports highlights how machine learning optimizes delivery across linear TV, CTV, and digital extensions, identifying exactly where attention is happening.
AI doesn’t make these moments cheaper, but it makes them more accountable.
The NFL’s work with IBM shows how AI-powered analytics and real-time insights fuel second-screen experiences and predictive stats. Resulting in deeper engagement surrounding the Super Bowl.
For advertisers, this creates a chance to show up before, during, and after the event. Not just inside a single ad break. It’s about creating a genuine transformation in how fans engage, not just a transaction.
Historically, we measured success by ratings and impressions. AI enables a more nuanced view, connecting exposure to engagement, sentiment, search behavior, and even offline actions.
As McKinsey emphasizes, the next frontier of measurement is understanding how these experiences actually influence behavior, not just how many eyes were on the screen.
With AI-driven personalization comes heightened responsibility. On global stages like the Super Bowl and Olympics, transparency, data stewardship, and brand safety are everything. Just because AI can do something, doesn’t mean it should. We have to protect the trust and values that make these events special in the first place.
AI isn’t diminishing the power of the Super Bowl or the Olympics. It’s redefining it. These moments are evolving into something more resonant and more human. The brands that win will be those that blend technology with strategy, creativity, and real human judgment.
The Super Bowl and Olympics may be sold out, but the playbook is just getting started. Let’s talk about how your brand can use AI to deliver relevance, efficiency, and trust at scale. Well beyond the big game.
