It’s fair to say, much like in every other walk of life, artificial intelligence has become the sports industry’s new obsession – the great hope for making everything faster, smarter, more efficient and more profitable. 

But here’s the truth: AI won’t save sponsorship. It will expose it. 

Across LatAm and South America, betting sponsorships are booming. Brazil’s regulatory changes have opened the floodgates. Other markets, from Mexico to Colombia to Peru, are following suit. Yet amid the excitement, too many brands are still doing the same old thing; buying exposure and calling it strategy. 

For decades, sponsorship decisions have relied on instinct. ‘That club has reach.’ ‘That sport gets airtime.’ But gut feeling doesn’t guarantee a return on investment. Far from it. AI flips the script. It analyzes fan data, engagement trends, digital sentiment and even purchase behavior, to identify what really drives value. It reveals who the fans are, what they respond to and how sponsorship actually influences them. 

In regions like LatAm and South America, where sports culture is rich, digital engagement is high and brand trust is fragile – precision matters more than ever. The beauty (and danger) of AI is that it doesn’t just make sponsorships smarter; it makes them visible.  

That’s why lazy sponsorships will be the first casualties of this new era. When everyone has access to the same data, it’s the creative strategy and authentic fan connection that make the difference. And no region better captures the collision of opportunity and accountability than LatAm and South America. 

Brazil is the clearest proof-point. The market has moved from a grey, anyone-can -play environment to a formalized system where operators must prove they deserve to be there. Commercially, the opportunity is huge. H2 Gambling Capital estimates Brazil generated around BR24bn ($4.47bn) in online sports betting and iGaming GGR for 2024, with the regulated market projected to rise to roughly BR31bn in 2025 as licensing accelerates and enforcement against offshore operators increases. 

This is exactly where AI becomes a spotlight. In a fast-formalizing market like Brazil, AI won’t just reveal weak sponsorship thinking – it will quantify it in front of regulators, rights-holders and fans. Brands will need to demonstrate that partnerships drive measurable outcomes: customer acquisition, retention, trust uplift and safer play. The winners won’t be the ones shouting the loudest; they’ll be the ones using AI to localize quickly, protect credibility and prove real impact beyond logo exposure. 

Brazil’s new regulatory framework has unlocked billions in potential revenue. Other countries will soon offer the same opportunity. The region is young, mobile-first and fan-obsessed – the perfect environment for innovation. But that same passion brings pressure. Fans here expect authenticity, innovation and respect – which means that brands can’t copy-paste European sponsorship models. They have to listen to the data, and to the audience, as customer acquisition is one thing – retention is another! 

At Sakura Sports, we’ve seen AI used both brilliantly and badly. The difference isn’t in the tech; it’s the intent.