Leading global sports marketing agency IMG launched its Digital Trends Report 2026, exploring the technologies and developments that will shape the sport and media landscape for rights holders over the next 12 months.

Featuring insights and analysis from IMG’s global team of digital experts, this year’s predictions explore the disruption of content distribution, Amazon’s unique position in the sports value chain, and the concept that more is more, all underpinned by the disruptive force of AI.

The report, according to a press release from IMG, now in its eighth year, has once again ranked the 12 most influential third-party media platforms for the global sports industry. For the first time, the power rankings also feature a list of the most important platforms for engaging audiences in China, in recognition of the tailored approach required to reach and engage sports fans in the market.

The platforms are ranked based on a detailed analysis of their audience profile and growth, commercial potential, and the functionality they offer rights holders and users, and more.

This year’s edition has crowned YouTube as the priority platform for the sports industry for the second year running, due to its ability to reach new audiences across a variety of media formats, drive revenue, and deliver audience analytics, followed by Instagram, TikTok and Facebook.

Spotify has broken into the list for the first time, in recognition of the platform’s potential for the sports industry and the increasing cultural crossover between sports and entertainment. Meanwhile, Douyin comes out on top in China.

IMG’s SVP & Managing Director, Digital, Lewis Wiltshire, in a statement said, “This year represents our most global trends report to date, capturing insights from our team of more than 200 digital experts across five continents. Each edition has reflected the evolution of our digital world, and for the first time you’ll see AI is threaded throughout our predictions as the heart of all change for our industry.

“But amidst the technological advances, we predict that human creativity and local insight will matter more than ever as we move into 2026. Our decision to spotlight the particular opportunities for engaging digital audiences in China recognises the region’s unique digital landscape and cultural insights, allowing our report to offer sport federations, leagues, teams, and brands a truly global outlook.”

Headline predictions from the Digital Trends Report 2026 include the following:

# More is more is more: The age of quality over quantity is over. Sports brands can no longer rely on infrequent, polished content. They must publish high-quality, high-volume material across every platform all the time. Success lies in being consistently visible, authentic and responsive, using AI to streamline workflows but investing heavily in creative talent and resources. The brands that scale up production without sacrificing purpose or originality will dominate attention and engagement.

# Do all roads lead to Amazon? Amazon now sits at the intersection of sports, technology, and fan experience. From AWS-powered AI insights to live streaming and integrated commerce, its ecosystem connects rights, data, and retail like no other. To stay competitive, rightsholders must develop platform-specific Amazon strategies, address data governance and IP ownership and design content tailored for its AI-driven, commerce-first environment where content and transaction blend seamlessly.

# Handling discovery when fans outsource decision-making: AI assistants and agentic search tools are increasingly deciding what fans see, buy, and attend, removing human choice from discovery. As zero-click searches and AI summaries dominate, sports brands risk being invisible unless they adapt. The new discipline of Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) demands authoritative, structured, human-authored content that AI agents can trust and cite. Future success means becoming the verified source that machines, not just people, recommend.

# Main character energy: The digital era favours people over institutions, with fans following creators not corporations. As platforms prioritise individual voices, sports organisations must develop on-camera talent, empower players and creators, and embrace two-way communication to build parasocial trust. Those that humanise their brands and collaborate with creator ecosystems will stay relevant, while those that cling to traditional broadcast control risk cultural obscurity.

# The world speaks one language: Real-time AI translation has made content globally accessible, but not culturally meaningful. True localisation still depends on human understanding of tone, humour, and relevance. To resonate worldwide, sports brands must maintain quality control, invest in regional ambassadors, and create locally authentic narratives rather than relying on machine-translated messaging. Being local as well as fluent is now the key to global growth.

# The short form fallacy: Short form video dominates feeds, but mistaking virality for value is a strategic trap. While Shorts, Reels, and TikToks are vital for discovery, long-form content builds fandom, retention and revenue. Modern audiences crave depth, not just dopamine hits. Sports organisations must balance formats, using short clips to attract attention but guiding fans toward podcasts, live streams, and storytelling that sustain engagement and emotional connection.

# Gen Alpha stake their claim on RedNote: In China, Gen Alpha’s internet revolves around Xiaohongshu (RedNote), a hybrid of search, social, and shopping that has become the country’s discovery engine. For global sports brands, an authentic presence there is non-negotiable. Winning on RedNote means building trust through native, community-driven content, collaborating with local creators, and optimising for AI-based discoverability. In this ecosystem, influence is earned through authenticity, not advertising.