We interview Ethan Gustav, Group President, North America at Infobip (the company that lets you know your Uber has arrived)
This is the week leading up to the “Big Game” a/k/a the Super Bowl, an event viewed by an average of 122 Million people in the United States over the past three years.
Sports organizations are only just now catching up to the digital native economy, exploring new technology advancements that can better engage fans beyond team merchandise and fan cameras in the stands.
Whether it’s AI chatbots providing real-time information for fans or real-time mobile messaging and application communications with your favorite players or engagement via predictions quizzes, everyone is looking for ways to be most engaging, get a slice of the attention, and new methods to enhance the experience.
We talked with Ethan Gustav, Group President, North America at Infobip, an omnichannel communications platform that has worked with the Haas F1 Team and the Los Angeles Rams, to learn more about how the sports industry is catching up to tech innovations in regards to fan engagement
WM: What’s the state of customer engagement in the sports industry? We see digital contests and games on the big screen and mobile ordering from seats in stadiums. What is working and where lies the potential?
Inforbip: According to our annual fan engagement survey, fans want to feel more connected to their teams. Beyond match-day updates or new merchandise sales, fans are hungry for more personal content that establishes connections, like inspirational player stories, behind-the-scenes content and more in-depth technical content like film breakdowns or coach interviews.
Fun, fan-friendly mobile interactions also excite audiences and grow loyalty, especially with today’s digitally native audience. For example, one of our partners launched a quiz competition giving fans a chance to win a pair of signed driving gloves from one of the team drivers at races throughout the season.
WM: Has the sports industry been slower than others to fully embrace the digital-native economy? Why and what do you think has changed recently?
Infobip: A truly engaging digital fan event experience goes beyond traditional broadcasting and in-person touch points, which has been the industry’s typical focus. For today’s fans, it’s about conversation. Instead of pushing out general information through more traditional channels like email, sports teams and associations are creating two-way, real-time dialogues that put fans at the center. Most importantly, these conversations are happening in the channels fans are already using, like text messaging, WhatsApp and iMessage.
WM: How are sporting events with a global reach like the World Cup, Superbowl and Olympics accelerating responding to the urgency around fan engagement innovation?
Infobip: Teams across global sports leagues are tapping into digital channels to create personalized, interactive experiences for fans. For example, the NFL’s Los Angeles Rams launched the 2025-2026 season schedule to more than 10,000 fans who could purchase game-day tickets through modern RCS text messages, and saw an uptick in both ticket sales (60%) and engagement (70%).
As the teams and organizations involved with events like the World Cup, Super Bowl and Olympics see their investments in digital engagement pay off, through increased ticket and merchandise sales, fan loyalty, etc., expect more adoption and even more creative campaigns.
WM: What are common challenges in existing fan engagement strategies and what are tech tools that are being developed to address fan frustrations? How are fans responding to these new strategies?
Infobip: Typically, when sports teams do reach out, fans are left underwhelmed and unimpressed. According to our previously mentioned survey, two-thirds of fans say they’re disappointed, for one reason or another, with their team’s attempts to engage. Mostly, fans find team communication too transactional, too infrequent, and too generic.
To better connect, sports teams are bringing games to the fans. Interactive trivia quizzes give supporters a chance to test their knowledge and win prizes, while some are deploying Augmented Reality (AR) scavenger hunts that can reward fans who find virtual tokens.
AR scavenger hunts can be especially successful during longer format events like the World Cup. During the months-long tournament, fans can be invited to hunt for soccer balls at different team events, matches and official retail stores. A virtual leaderboard can be updated in real time, boosting continuous engagement, and winners can earn prizes like merchandise, discounts or loyalty rewards. These more interactive methods amplify team loyalty and more importantly, help fans to be fans.
WM: Do you think fans are willing to engage in campaigns using mobile apps and SMS that require them to give up personal data? How much resistance do you see here in 2026?
Infobip: Data privacy is essential and paramount to Infobip and its partners, especially in today’s digital-first, mobile world where consumers are doing everything on their phones, from purchasing tickets to winning prizes from their favorite teams.
WM: Please provide an overview of Infobip’s commercial offering and how the technology works?
Infobip: Infobip may not be a company you've heard of, but if you've hailed an Uber or ordered a pizza online, you've likely interacted with its technology. Infobip is a global communications platform and a unicorn that’s empowered brands to send more than 10 billion RCS text messages and are the ones who let you know your Uber's out front or that your favorite store is having a flash deal.
Increasingly, they're also using AI in innovative ways to communicate with end customers. One particular example of their work is the WhatsApp messaging campaign it led with Unilever, which generated 14 times higher product sales in just seven days.
WM: How can sports organizations use Infobip’s omnichannel communication platform?
Infobip: Fans want a deeper, two-way relationship with their teams that keeps them engaged throughout the year, not just on match days. With AI and other new technologies, such as Conversational AI Gamification, sports organizations can create personalized, real-time fan experiences that build loyalty and drive participation.
Infobip’s AI-driven chatbots on platforms like WhatsApp and Rich Communication Services (RCS) enable fans to instantly ask questions, access exclusive content, and receive updates 24/7.
WM: How have these new tech tools evolved as we near a sports-heavy 2026?
Infobip: From F1 to American Football and even Cricket, sports teams across leagues are using Infobip’s platform to deliver next-generation engagement with fans — from real-time match alerts and early ticket sales to seamless personalized support.
As we enter into a sports-heavy 2026, organizations that commit enhanced digital communications will benefit from better fan relationships, increased merchandise sales, higher viewership and participation, and new revenue streams.
WM: Can you share a “case study” or market example with us? (F1 or LA Rams).
Infobip: F1 case study has been mentioned, but you can find the entire case study in detail here: https://www.infobip.com/customer/haas-f1
WM: What lessons can other sports organizations learn from Infobip’s work with Haas F1 Team and the Los Angeles Rams?
Infobip: Infobip is already transforming fan engagement for major sports organizations worldwide. Infobip deploys AI-powered chatbots and messaging platforms like WhatsApp to offer real-time interactions. In the US, Infobip partners with the Los Angeles Rams to enhance fan communication through Apple Messages for Business, delivering exclusive content and instant updates.
Meanwhile, in Latin America, Infobip teamed up with Claro Sports to develop a sophisticated AI-powered chatbot using Google’s Rich Communication Services (RCS), offering Mexican sports fans real-time scores, athlete notifications, and interactive experiences across multiple messaging channels.
These are just a few examples of how sports teams can use Infobip’s tech to bring fans closer to the action and boost loyalty.
Editors Note:
Infobip is a global cloud communications platform that enables businesses to build connected experiences across all stages of the customer journey, with AI as the driving force of innovation. Through a single, natively built platform, Infobip delivers omnichannel engagement, identity, user authentication and contact center solutions that help businesses and partners overcome the complexity of consumer communications while driving growth and increasing customer loyalty.
Infobip is focused on enabling and accelerating AI adoption as it continues its transformation into an AI-first company. Infobip’s technology has the capacity to reach over seven billion mobile devices in 6 continents connected to over 10k+ connections of which 800+ are direct operator connections. The company was established in 2006 and is led by its co-founders, CEO Silvio Kutić and Izabel Jelenić.