Two years ago, IBM identified a major gap in its list of sports partnerships — Formula One.
According to TechCrunch, Formula One has grown into one of the world’s most watched sports, particularly in the United States, where Netflix’s “Drive to Survive” introduced F1 drivers to a wider audience and elevated them into mainstream fame.
The sport has also drawn strong interest from technology companies, with firms such as AWS, Oracle and Anthropic partnering with teams to provide sponsorship support, data analysis and artificial intelligence tools aimed at improving performance.
IBM subsequently entered into a partnership with Scuderia Ferrari HP, one of Formula One’s most successful and historic teams.
“They’re the winningest team in history,” IBM Vice President of Sports and Entertainment Partnerships Kameryn Stanhouse told TechCrunch.
The partnership places particular emphasis on advanced technology and artificial intelligence to improve fan interaction and storytelling. Stanhouse said sport provides a strong environment for demonstrating the practical use of AI because of the large amount of available data.
Ferrari also appointed Stefano Pallard as head of fan development to strengthen engagement with supporters. He said the objective extended beyond reaching fans and focused instead on making supporters feel personally connected to the team.
“That starts with taking the data we get from the track and turning it into content that is easy to follow and engaging,” Pallard said.
Formula One teams process millions of data points every second during races, recording detailed information about the car and drivers. Ferrari and IBM are using this information to produce interactive content for supporters through the Ferrari fan application.
Among the new additions to the app are AI-written race summaries, games, predictions, behind-the-scenes content and an AI assistant capable of answering supporters’ questions. The application is now also available in Italian, a feature absent before the IBM partnership despite Ferrari’s Italian identity and large domestic fan base.
Stanhouse said the previous version of the Ferrari app mainly provided race information before users quickly left the platform. The revised version seeks to keep supporters engaged throughout the year rather than only during race weekends.
According to IBM, engagement on the application has increased significantly, including a 62 per cent rise during race weekends since the partnership began.
Pallard said Ferrari uses AI to study supporter behaviour, including reading preferences and audience reactions, allowing the team to shape future content more effectively for the Tifosi, the nickname used for Ferrari supporters.
Ferrari also aims to expand personalised experiences for supporters as Formula One’s audience continues to diversify. Statistics released by Formula One last year showed that 75 per cent of new fans were women, many belonging to Generation Z.
Pallard said supporters increasingly demand more data, insight and features, adding that Ferrari and IBM intend to create experiences tailored to both long-time followers and newer fans in the years ahead.
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