VBS 2026
90 per cent of gen z discover sports on social media: Executives outline next-gen fan experience at VBS ’26
Panel explores how tech will transform sports consumption and fan engagement in the near future
MUMBAI: Industry leaders argued at VBS 2026 that the future of sports fandom will be defined less by television broadcasts and more by personalised, interactive and AI-driven experiences.
Speaking at a panel titled The Next-Gen Sports Fan Experience, executives from across the sports, technology and streaming ecosystem said advances in artificial intelligence, cloud computing and high-speed connectivity are fundamentally reshaping how fans discover, consume and engage with live sport.
The session was moderated by WPP & WPP Media India creative technology lead Niraj Ruparel.
Sony Sports Networks India head – content acquisition, licensing, programming strategy and insights, sports Shishir Gupta said the traditional single-screen broadcast model is rapidly giving way to fragmented, multi-device viewing.
Even though many Indian homes still rely on a single television set, audiences increasingly use second screens to follow matches, highlights and commentary simultaneously.
“Sports still brings people together because it is live,” Gupta said. “But viewers now want bite-sized content, highlights and updates when they want them and increasingly in personalised formats.”
He added that the next phase of sports viewing will combine immersive technologies such as augmented and virtual reality with enhanced stadium experiences, allowing fans to access real-time statistics, data overlays and digital services throughout the venue.
Sportz Interactive chief executive Siddharth Raman argued that fan engagement is shifting from passive viewing to interactive participation. Real-time performance ranking systems such as the Upstox Cricket Index and Boost Stamina Meter illustrated how real-time data can transform sports storytelling, he said.
The Upstox initiative, launched during the Indian Premier League, treated cricketers as “stocks”, with values fluctuating based on match performance to help audiences understand stock-market concepts.
Meanwhile, the Boost Stamina Meter analysed movement data, including distance covered by fielders, running speeds and player activity, to generate a stamina score for each player.
Raman said this data-driven storytelling represents the early stages of a broader shift where fans increasingly curate the content they watch.
“In the future, fans may simply prompt a platform to show every boundary hit by Virat Kohli in a particular match,” he said. “The power to orchestrate the content will lie with the viewer.”
Moderator Niraj Ruparel also pointed to experiments combining gaming, sponsorship and AI to deepen fan engagement.
Drawing on campaigns delivered by WPP teams, he highlighted how brands are increasingly creating immersive fan experiences rather than relying on traditional advertising formats. One example he cited was Coca Cola VR Cricket, where fans across India could wear VR headsets and step into a virtual cricket experience, allowing them to play and engage with the sport in an entirely new way at scale. He also pointed to how brands seamlessly integrate into live sporting ecosystems through technology, such as when the Google Pixel Phone integrated into buggy cams to capture and broadcast match moments from new perspectives.
He noted that as connectivity improves and 5G expands, sports environments are becoming increasingly immersive, enabling deeper engagement between fans, brands and live sporting moments. Ruparel also discussed an early prototype he is building using Google Gemini that explores how telephony AI could democratise access to sports commentary. The concept allows fans to dial a number, choose their preferred language and receive live match commentary directly through voice. Such a system could potentially enable fans across device types and connectivity levels—from feature phone users on low-bandwidth networks to smartphone users on 5G—to access sports experiences in their own language and format, while also allowing brands to seamlessly integrate contextual communication within the commentary.
He said the broader opportunity lies in designing technology experiences that reach India’s diverse and massive sports fan base across different devices, connectivity levels and regions. This ensures that sport continues to unite the country while becoming more accessible, immersive and participatory for everyone.
OTTplay chief executive and co-founder Avinash Mudaliar, highlighted the challenge of serving India’s vastly different digital audiences.
The platform aggregates more than 30 streaming services, including sports offerings from platforms such as Disney plus Hotstar and SonyLIV, alongside hundreds of live television channels.
Mudaliar noted that the company’s user base ranges from urban consumers with 5G connections and VR headsets to viewers in smaller towns using low-bandwidth networks and inexpensive smartphones.
To address network variability, OTTplay deploys adaptive bit-rate streaming that automatically converts video feeds into audio when connectivity drops, allowing fans to continue following live events even with limited bandwidth.
The platform also emphasises regional content, which accounts for roughly 60 per cent of its consumption.
“Our focus is the user in smaller towns with a modest device and limited connectivity,” Mudaliar said. “That viewer is equally part of the sports economy.”
Amagi senior vice president for Asia-Pacific Jay Ganesan, argued that sports production itself must evolve.
Historically, sports content has been produced primarily for broadcast television, with digital adaptations layered on afterwards.
The future, he suggested, will reverse that logic.
“We must start producing sports content for multiple experiences from the beginning,” Ganesan said. “Different fans want different views —languages, players, data layers — and each of these experiences carries its own monetisation model.”
Cloud-based production and artificial intelligence will make such personalisation economically viable by enabling automated content generation, localisation and highlight creation at scale.
Across the panel, speakers identified several technologies that could redefine sports engagement in the coming decade. Gupta pointed to virtual reality viewing and digitally enhanced stadiums. Raman highlighted large language models acting as AI copilots for sports fans, helping them navigate content and insights in real time. Ganesan emphasised cloud infrastructure combined with AI to create scalable, personalised viewing experiences.
Mudaliar argued that sports platforms must also address community behaviour, particularly among younger audiences. Nearly 90 per cent of Gen Z viewers discover sports through social media platforms before deciding whether to watch full matches, he said.
“The next challenge is converting those social communities into long-form viewers,” Mudaliar added.
The panel discussion also highlighted the unusual dynamics of India’s digital ecosystem.
While more than 200 million users now access high-speed 5G networks capable of streaming high-definition video and immersive experiences, roughly 350 million people still rely on basic 2G connectivity.
This disparity forces sports broadcasters and technology companies to design services that work simultaneously across vastly different infrastructure environments. Yet the panel agreed that the convergence of AI, high-speed networks and cloud distribution is rapidly expanding the possibilities for sports engagement.
VBS 2026
VBS 2026: Indian media rides AI, hybrid tv and social fandom into a new era
Summit highlights AI, fan-first sports experiences, connectivity and intelligent content flows
MUMBAI: The media industry is entering its most turbulent technological shift in decades. Artificial intelligence, hybrid television ecosystems and creator-driven fandom are rapidly redrawing the economics of broadcasting.
At the Video Broadcast and Broadband Tech Summit 2026 in Mumbai, the people who build, regulate, fund and fill our screens gathered to reckon with a simple, unsettling truth: the broadcasting business is being rebuilt from the antenna down. Regulators sat beside streamers. Advertisers traded notes with telecom operators. And everyone had an opinion about AI.
Opening the summit, Indian Television Dot Com founder and editor-in-chief Anil Wanvari, framed the industry’s moment as one of “great tech-celerations”, as artificial intelligence, data and digital distribution transform how content is produced, delivered and monetised.
He highlighted the rapid expansion of low Earth orbit satellites, which are dramatically reducing latency and extending internet access to previously unconnected regions, bringing millions of new users online.
AI has slipped into the newsroom, the edit suite, the analytics dashboard, quietly compressing what used to take days into hours. Connected TVs are rewriting viewing habits in real time. Wanvari stressed that technology must be balanced with responsibility. “Trust is the most precious and fragile asset any media organisation possesses,” he said, adding that as connectivity expands, the industry must ensure the stories reaching new audiences are worthy of that moment.
Policy outlook: AI and 6G reshape broadcasting
The regulatory perspective came from Telecom Regulatory Authority of India principal advisor for broadcast and cable services Ashok Kumar Jha.
Jha outlined how emerging technologies such as AI and 6G connectivity could reshape India’s broadcast and broadband ecosystem, stressing that future policy must balance innovation with inclusive digital access.
As network infrastructure evolves, regulators expect convergence between telecom, satellite and broadcasting systems to accelerate.
Hybrid television takes centre stage
One of the summit’s central themes was the convergence of traditional broadcasting and streaming platforms.
In a panel moderated by KPMG partner – TMT Sonica Bajaj, industry leaders argued that the future will not be a battle between linear television and OTT services.
Zee Entertainment Enterprises chief revenue officer affiliate sales and head public & regulatory affairs Anil Malhotra, said linear television continues to dominate mass reach across India.
He pointed out that the country still has roughly 160 million linear TV households, underlining television’s enduring role as a shared family screen.
Meanwhile, Airtel head of telco engineering Ajit Pratap Singh, described how telecom operators are building unified platforms that integrate linear channels with streaming libraries, supported by AI-driven discovery tools.
Connectivity remains a crucial enabler. Eutelsat OneWeb senior director Nishitha Kapoor, argued that low-earth-orbit satellite networks could bridge India’s connectivity gaps. With around 314 million households in the country and only about half owning a television, LEO satellites could expand broadband access while also strengthening disaster recovery and network resilience.
Looking ahead to the next technological shift, CloudExtel CEO and co-founder Kunal Bajaj, said OTT growth was powered by the transition from 3G to 4G networks, while 5G will enable immersive formats such as augmented reality, virtual reality and shared viewing experiences.
However, Hughes Communications India CEO and managing director Shivaji Chatterjee, cautioned that broadcast distribution still offers unmatched efficiency for large live events. Delivering identical streams to millions of viewers via OTT consumes far more bandwidth than satellite transmission.
Satellite broadband could also play a role in expanding media access. Eutelsat OneWeb senior director Nishitha Kapoor, highlighted the potential of low-earth-orbit satellite networks to bridge connectivity gaps in underserved regions.
Newsrooms confront the AI dilemma
The summit also examined how artificial intelligence is reshaping journalism during the session The Newsroom of Tomorrow: Tools, Trust and Business Viability in Focus. The panel featured Govindraj Ethiraj, editor of The Core; Nilesh Khare, COO of Sakal Media Group; Prakaran Tiwari, chief executive producer at NDTV Profit; Manoj Padmanabhan, head – business media and entertainment at Amazon Web Services; and Neeraj Mishra, key account manager at Vizrt, moderated by Mayuresh Konnur, bilingual correspondent at Collective Newsroom.
Ethiraj argued that trust is now the real differentiator in a fragmented news ecosystem, noting that audiences increasingly consume information from alternative sources even as AI assists newsroom tasks such as editing and proofreading.
Khare said AI could reshape newsroom economics and scale, revealing that Sakal is building its own language model trained on six decades of archival data to reduce reliance on external platforms.
Tiwari stressed that perspective will remain journalism’s competitive edge, observing that AI is adapting to how audiences consume news. Padmanabhan positioned technology as an enabler rather than a replacement for journalists, saying AI acts as an assistant while the industry moves towards a single integrated newsroom.
Mishra highlighted how automation can help broadcasters manage rising content volumes, while moderator Konnur cautioned that the spread of deepfakes and synthetic media makes credibility and verification more critical than ever.
Automation reshapes sports and live production
Following discussions on AI, infrastructure and hybrid distribution, the summit also examined how automation is reshaping live broadcast production during the session The Journey From Live Events — Sports and News to Viewers: Exploring Tech-Driven Production.
The panel featured Mukund Acharya, CTO at Sony; Bhaskar Majumdar, GM – Saarc at Ross Video; Divyajot Ahluwalia, founder of wTVision and Quidich Innovation Labs; Megha Gambhir, CEO and founder of Stupa Sports Analytics; Subodh Aggarwal, general manager south asia at TVU Networks; Anand Pimprikar, head india and middle east at Tata Communications Media Enabled Services; and Rohan Padha, partner india at Deloitte, with Pimprikar chairing the session.
Ahluwalia said AI is enabling broadcasters to uncover patterns hidden in sports data, while Gambhir emphasised the growing role of data-driven insights and verification in live commentary. Acharya highlighted the scale of modern streaming, revealing SonyLIV has handled around 10 million concurrent viewers during major events.
Aggarwal noted that much of the automation powering live production remains invisible to audiences but is critical for reliability. Pimprikar said the pandemic accelerated the move to remote and network-based production, while Padha pointed to cloud-driven production models reshaping broadcasting economics and enabling deeper viewer engagement. Majumdar added that automation is now “bread and butter” for modern broadcasting, positioning AI as an assistive tool rather than a threat.
Cable and distribution rethink strategy
Distribution platforms are also adapting to the changing media ecosystem.
Fragmentation in India’s content ecosystem also came under scrutiny during a fireside chat with Manoj Dobhal, ceo and executive director of Dish TV India. Dobhal argued that while India produces vast volumes of content, value creation is constrained by a fragmented ecosystem that disconnects creators, producers, technology providers and global buyers.
“We know the problem is fragmentation,” Dobhal said, adding that it slows growth and prevents content from unlocking its full commercial value. He noted that creators often struggle to access international distribution and investor networks, despite India’s large diaspora and global appetite for Indian storytelling.
To address the gap, Dish TV plans to launch a three-day content marketplace in March 2026 that will bring together creators, producers, studios, investors and distributors under one roof. “It is not just about a career boost,” Dobhal said. “It is a roadmap,” suggesting that structured industry collaboration could help build long-term partnerships and create clearer global pathways for Indian content.
Meanwhile Vynsley Fernandes, whole-time director at Hinduja Global Solutions and CEO of NxtDigital, argued that AI, analytics and automation, what he called the “three As” will drive the next phase of media growth.
“These are not buzzwords,” he said. “They are enablers.” Analytics helps interpret consumer behaviour, AI anticipates demand and automation allows services to scale efficiently.
Highlighting NXTDigital’s footprint across roughly 4,500 pin codes, Fernandes said satellite internet, IPTV integration and OTT bundling will expand connectivity, particularly in underserved regions. He also stressed the importance of hyperlocal strategies, noting that demand can vary sharply even within the same neighbourhood. “The future is integration, not isolation,” he added, pointing to bundled offerings that combine television, broadband, VoIP and Wi-Fi.
Advertising enters the AI age
The advertising industry is undergoing a similar transformation.
A panel chaired by Rahul Kapoor, vice president partnerships at The Trade Desk, brought together marketing and ad-tech leaders to discuss the future of data-driven media.
Speaking about the growing role of AI, Pratap Jain, founder and CEO of Chana Jor, explained how his platform uses the technology to generate creatives and analyse audience behaviour. “We know from the data what people are watching and we create accordingly. AI helps us in doing that,” he said, while noting that human storytelling still brings “emotions and uniqueness which say a ChatGPT does not have.”
Opening the discussion, Sujay Ray, head of consumer experience, content and advocacy at L’Oréal India, stressed that storytelling remains the core of effective advertising. “The biggest challenge today is the lack of good stories,” he said, warning that brands are increasingly following trends rather than building distinct narratives.
From an agency perspective, Abhinay Bhasin, senior vice president – product and technology at dentsu India, described AI as an enabler of experimentation. “AI creates room for experiment,” he said, noting that brands can now test multiple creative routes quickly and optimise campaigns more efficiently.
The conversation also turned to changing media planning strategies. Anooj Shetty, national head – growth account advanced TV at WPP Media, said brands are now focused on deduplicated reach across platforms. “Every brand is very clear that it should get incremental reach,” he noted, highlighting the need for better measurement as campaigns span television, OTT and digital ecosystems.
Connected TV emerged as a key growth area, but with evolving definitions of success. Deepak Karnani of CereOne questioned traditional metrics, asking, “A CTV needs to deliver performance, but what is that performance?”
Meanwhile, Sandeep Balani of JioAds pointed out that digital’s biggest advantage can also create pressure for marketers. “One of the curses of digital is that it is very measurable,” he said, noting that advertisers often demand precise performance metrics even for upper-funnel formats.
Executives agreed that advertisers are moving beyond traditional television metrics toward unified measurement frameworks that combine streaming, digital and broadcast audiences.
Creators and access reshape sports engagement
Building on discussions around AI-driven and interactive fan experiences, another panel at VBS 2026 explored how creators, communities, and access are reshaping sports fandom beyond the match itself.
The panel was chaired by Shubha Pai, head – brand solutions, Google India, and featured Preranaa Khatri (chief business officer, Only Much Louder), Piyush Sharma (creative head, Punjab Kings), and Amit Doshi (founder & CEO, IVM Podcasts).
Pai highlighted that platforms like Youtube are central to modern fandom, capturing the intersection of creators, community and culture. “Cricket matches may end, but the passion around cricket continues 24 by 7,” she said, noting that 90 per cent of fans use second screens for commentary, memes, highlights, and discussions.
Sharma emphasised the emotional immediacy of fandom, with teams responding to fan questions and sentiments on platforms like Instagram and YouTube. “The wall between creators or teams and fans is disappearing,” he said, citing tools like comment analytics and sentiment analysis.
Khatri underscored the scaling power of digital platforms, enabling global fan communities, and stressed that partnerships must be authentic. Doshi highlighted podcasts as a vehicle for deeper engagement: “Highlights create excitement, but depth comes from long-form consumption,” while also warning that licensing costs limit long-form storytelling.
The panel concluded that access—to players, teams, and creators—will define future superfandom, turning casual viewers into year-round, engaged fans.
The rise of social-first sports fandom
Sports broadcasting is also evolving beyond the television screen.
At a panel titled “The Next-Gen Sports Fan Experience”, leaders from across the sports, streaming and technology ecosystem explored how artificial intelligence, cloud infrastructure and high-speed connectivity are redefining fan engagement.
Moderated by Niraj Ruparel, creative technology lead at WPP and WPP Media India, the discussion featured Shishir Gupta of Sony Sports Networks India, Siddharth Raman of Sportz Interactive, Avinash Mudaliar of OTTplay, and Jay Ganesan of Amagi.
Gupta said the traditional single-screen broadcast model is rapidly giving way to fragmented, multi-device viewing. “Sports still brings people together because it is live, but viewers now want bite-sized content and personalised formats,” he said.
Raman highlighted how real-time data enables more interactive storytelling through initiatives such as the Upstox Cricket Index and Boost Stamina Meter. “The power to orchestrate the content will lie with the viewer,” he said.
Ruparel pointed to immersive brand-led innovations such as Coca-Cola VR Cricket and the use of Google Pixel phones integrated into buggy cameras to capture new match perspectives. He also described an early prototype using Google Gemini that could allow fans to dial in and receive AI-powered match commentary in their preferred language.
Mudaliar stressed the importance of designing platforms for India’s diverse digital audience. “Our focus is the user in smaller towns with a modest device and limited connectivity. That viewer is equally part of the sports economy,” he said, noting that adaptive streaming ensures access even on weak networks.
Ganesan argued that sports production itself must evolve beyond broadcast-first thinking. “Different fans want different views—languages, players and data layers—and each of these experiences carries its own monetisation model,” he said.
Mudaliar added that nearly 90 per cent of Gen Z fans discover sports through social media, highlighting the next challenge for platforms: “converting those communities into long-form viewers.”
An industry in transition
Taken together, the summit’s discussions pointed to a broadcast sector undergoing structural change.
Artificial intelligence is reshaping production. Data is redefining advertising. And social platforms are transforming audience behaviour.
For broadcasters and technology companies alike, the message from VBS 2026 was unmistakable: the future of media will be hybrid, intelligent and relentlessly data-driven.
