IBM watsonx uses generative artificial intelligence and advanced data analytics to transform the fan experience and optimize management at major sporting events. An example of this strategy is found in the collaboration that the technology company maintains with Scuderia Ferrari HP, which is using different IBM technologies to bring its followers a more personalized and data-based digital experience.
Recently, Madrid hosted the Spanish Formula 1 Grand Prix, an event in which Scuderia Ferrari HP was present and in which IBM once again participated as a premium sponsor and official partner of the team, something it has been doing since the last 2025 season. Since then, Ferrari fans have been able to see how this collaboration is helping to improve their digital experience and make data-based information available to the more than 400 million followers who support the Scuderia around the world.
Watsonx improves the sports experience
Every fan deserves to enjoy a digital experience worthy of the style and quality associated with a brand like Ferrari. With this objective, the IBM Consulting team has worked on a mobile application that incorporates new interaction opportunities, greater customization possibilities and functionalities based on IBM watsonx artificial intelligence.
The application allows fans to access information about the team, the races and their drivers, while taking advantage of the analysis of large volumes of data to offer a more tailored experience for each user. The platform analyzes millions of data generated during each race and uses it to provide personalized content, automatic summaries and detailed statistics through the official applications.
In this way, fans can consult the results and main data of the Scuderia Ferrari HP drivers, the Monegasque Charles Leclerc and the British Lewis Hamilton, seven-time world champion. The goal is to bring the action of the track closer to the user and provide a more complete experience before, during and after each Grand Prix.
To consolidate this entire data platform and guarantee high availability, Ferrari uses a hybrid cloud infrastructure with data and services distributed between IBM Cloud and AWS Cloud. Added to this is IBM watsonx.data, a platform that allows you to manage large volumes of information and prepare them for processing using artificial intelligence models.
AI is also present in internal development processes. The team uses IBM Bob, an artificial intelligence-based coding agent that increases the efficiency and precision of developers and accelerates the evolution of the Scuderia Ferrari HP application. Selecting the right AI capability for each task and reducing redundant computing cycles also helps establish a more controlled cost model for AI-assisted development.
More platforms and technology to consume sports
Ferrari’s commitment to improving the digital experience coincides with an evolution in fans’ habits. Research commissioned by IBM reveals that the digital expectations of Spanish sports fans are growing as they use more platforms, subscriptions and technologies to access content.
The new IBM Sports Intelligence Report, prepared from the responses of 20,000 sports fans in 12 countries, including Spain, indicates that 43% of Spanish respondents have higher expectations about digital sports experiences than one or two years ago, compared to 46% registered on a global scale.
This change is also reflected in consumer habits. 33% of Spanish fans say they are more likely to use a subscription streaming service to watch live sports, a figure practically equal to the 32% who opt for traditional television. Among those who consume sport through digital platforms, convenience is the main reason for choosing this model, indicated by 43% of those surveyed.
Artificial intelligence is also beginning to play a relevant role. 69% of Spanish fans say they use AI, in line with the global average, while 61% say they trust sports content generated using this technology. These data suggest that greater familiarity with AI can help increase fan confidence.
However, speed is not the main factor that followers value. Precision has greater weight: 44% of Spanish fans prioritize having highly accurate sports information, compared to 25% who give greater importance to speed. In fact, accuracy is also the main factor that generates trust in AI-powered sports information, according to 38% of Spanish respondents.
Sports apps gain prominence
The growth of digital platforms is also reflected in the use of sports applications. Almost three quarters of Spanish fans, 70%, say they use sports apps, compared to 72% of the global average.
However, fans also demand a more consolidated experience. 37% of Spanish respondents say they would probably download and use a centralized sports application, although only 19% would be willing to pay for a subscription, compared to 29% globally.
The use of AI among Spanish fans reaches 69%, but only 61% trust content generated by it
Among Spaniards who already use sports applications, 37% indicate that their main motivation is to have information in a single place. For their part, 32% use them to receive real-time updates when they cannot see or hear an event. Additionally, 26% say they use live statistics and analytics more than they did a year or two ago, making this the fastest-growing feature.
The challenge of consolidating the digital experience
The proliferation of platforms and options to consume sports content also generates new difficulties. 38% of Spanish fans acknowledge feeling frustrated when having to manage multiple subscriptions to access sporting events that interest them. This figure increases to 50% among Generation Z followers in Spain.
At the same time, consumer habits continue to evolve. 51% of Spanish fans use social networks as a channel to access additional sports content, while 45% turn to television or news videos.
In this scenario, Formula 1 occupies a particularly relevant position in Spain. 43% of Spanish fans say they follow this sport, compared to 31% of the global average. The competition is the third most followed sports category in our country, only behind football, with 88%, and tennis, with 49%.
The collaboration between IBM and Ferrari therefore reflects a transformation that goes beyond competition. The use of artificial intelligence, data analysis and hybrid cloud allows the team to improve its internal processes, but also convert that data into more personalized digital experiences for its followers. In a context in which fans demand accurate information, real-time content and more integrated experiences, technology becomes another key element to win the race for the public’s attention.
