AI is opening a new chapter for the sports industry, but its greatest impact will depend on how thoughtfully organizations put it to work. SponsorUnited VP of Strategy & Analytics Rohan Nagi recently joined Amir Bormand on Elevano’s The Tech Trek podcast to discuss how sports organizations can apply AI across athlete evaluation, sponsorship strategy and audience intelligence.

The conversation explored what separates effective AI strategies from experimentation—and why technology must follow strategy to create lasting value. Key takeaways included:

• Successful AI initiatives begin with a clearly defined problem—not the latest tool.
• The strongest insights combine quantitative data with qualitative context, including fit, trust and experience.
• Adoption starts by improving one meaningful workflow, demonstrating its value and then scaling it across the organization.