THE AI ADVANTAGE: DRIVING INNOVATION AND INTELLIGENCE IN SPORT
Ben Weisfeld, Founder and CEO
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer a distant concept shaping the future of sport. It is already transforming how sport operates today. From performance analysis and fan engagement to monetisation and creativity, AI is influencing every part of the industry. At Ten Toes, we see this not as something to watch from the sidelines,but something to proactively integrate into our thinking, processes and daily work. That was the thinking behind Ten Toes AI Week.
I’ve been borderline obsessed with all things AI for some time now, much to the bemusement of a lot of my mates and people at Ten Toes. I doom scroll on TikTok for hours trying to learn new bits and bobs I can input into our every day life.
So instead of treating AI as a side project or buzzword, we brought it into the heart of our business. AI Week was designed to be hands-on and ambitious. It gave our team the space to learn, test, compete, and create in new ways, showing what can happen when experienced sports marketeers are given access to the most advanced AI tools available.
At the centre of AI Week was a belief we’re fully bought into – AI should not replace human creativity or strategic thinking, it should enhance them. As Chris Neff, Head of Emerging Experiences at Anomaly, puts it: “We’re not replacing people. We’re replacing the tasks that slow down the best parts of people. That’s where AI becomes transformative.” Chris and his colleague Ben Priddy were the driving force of our AI Week, sharing their amazing knowledge of all things AI in a way we could all understand and use in real life.
With that mindset, we set a real-world challenge: launching NASCAR in Europe, starting with four races in Paris, London, Stockholm, and Rome. This wasn’t hypothetical. It was, however, a sport that many at Ten Toes weren’t overly aware of, so it provided a level playing field of specific sports knowledge for everyone. Each team had to develop a full go-to-market plan with three clear focus areas:
Talent: How can AI help spotlight the drivers and partners who shape NASCAR’s identity?
Monetisation: Where can AI unlock commercial value — through content, merchandise, partnerships, or otherwise?
Lasting Impact: How do we ensure NASCAR’s presence in Europe is not just launched, but embedded?
This brief required creative thinking, cultural understanding, and commercial strategy with AI playing a role at every stage. It was used to generate ideas, develop brand tone, research audiences, create images and video, score music, and even build prototypes.
To support the work, we gave teams access to a carefully selected set of AI tools. These ranged from text-based models like ChatGPT and Claude, to visual generators like Veo 3 and Midjourney as well as music tools like Suno, and research platforms like Perplexity.
We didn’t just hand over the tech. We ran workshops, brought in external speakers, and created time for deep dives and experimentation. Every team member had access to shared logins and was expected to use AI throughout their process. The result wasn’t just better output, it was a shift in mindset.
A text I received the day after from one of the leadership folk at Ten Toes read: “It's rare you are taught something so practical which will directly make you better at your job so quickly, but I can already see it's been such a rich few days for that.”. That, in a sentence, was exactly the purpose of AI Week.
On Day Two, we turned the spotlight onto a major internal project – our fan insight AI tool, which we’ve been building for the past six months. We demoed how it’s already being used to support live client work, with strong early results across several major briefs. It’s now being rolled out across a number of our flagship accounts ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
AI Week wasn’t about theory. It was about putting AI to work in ways that are practical, creative, and commercially valuable. And what it showed us is simple: AI isn’t just a set of tools, it’s a new way of working. One that helps us move quicker, unlock smarter thinking, and turn good ideas into tangible work at speed.
For a sports marketing agency like Ten Toes, this isn’t a ‘nice-to-have’. It’s a must. As we head into a period of rapid change – new tournaments, new rights deals, shifting fan behaviours – the agencies that adapt quickly and use AI with purpose will be the ones that lead.
That means not just leaning into what AI can do, but taking responsibility for how it’s used. We’re actively learning about the ethical and environmental questions AI raises and are committed to building that understanding into the work we create.
AI Week is now a fixture in our calendar. And we’ve established a new GenAI Council – it will be a simple way to keep a regular drumbeat going as things evolve, sharing what’s new, helping guide our approach, and continuing our principle that ‘growth comes from discomfort’.
This isn’t just a trend – we see it as fundamental to how we think, work, and grow. It’s part of our approach to stay ahead, stay curious and stay open to change… because that’s where real progress happens.
AI isn’t coming. It’s already here. And we’re making sure we’re ready.