Is Multilingual Content the Future of Sports Viewing and Fan Engagement?
Sport has long been a universal language, bringing together people from diverse cultures, nations, and backgrounds. Yet, despite its global appeal, the lack of localised content (content that is adapted to resonate with a specific audience by incorporating cultural, linguistic, and regional nuance) remains a significant barrier for millions of fans. Picture this: you’re watching a tense, nail-biting final of a volleyball tournament, but the commentary isn’t in your language. You catch the big moments, sure, but the post-match interviews, player insights, and expert analysis? They remain out of reach. For many fans, access to this deeper layer of storytelling is limited, not because they lack passion, but because the content simply isn’t available in a language they understand.
The rise of multilingual content marks a crucial shift in the industry, making sports a more personal and inclusive experience. More than just expanding accessibility, localised content fosters deeper fan loyalty, broadens market reach for sports organisations, and maximises the value of their content library.
However, achieving this level of localisation at scale - without compromising quality, cultural nuance, or authenticity - requires more than traditional approaches can offer. In our recent collaboration with CAMB.AI, a leader in AI-driven speech-to-speech translation, we encountered a solution to this challenge. CAMB.AI’s technology represents a strategic enabler for sports organisations to connect with global audiences in real time, monetise legacy content, and create personalised experiences that resonate across regions.
In this article, we tackle the central question: Is multilingual content the future of sports viewing and fan engagement? We look at the strategic imperatives driving this transformation, the applications of AI-powered localisation, and the ethical responsibilities of deploying such a disruptive technology. Using CAMB.AI as a case study, we’ll demonstrate how thoughtful and value-driven innovation can enhance global sports engagement.
Bringing Sports Closer to Fans / The Need For Multilingual Sports Content
Sports is delivered globally but audiences worldwide prefer to receive it locally. Content that isn’t available in their local languages reduces their ability to connect with moment-specific emotions, despite understanding the game, play for play. In linguistically diverse countries like India, this challenge is even greater. There is a greater affinity by fans to consume sports in their local dialects. While local broadcasters try to meet this demand, recruiting commentators for every language - ‘Bhojpuri, ‘Marathi’, ‘Punjabi’ (common regional languages in India) and beyond - is expensive, logistically unsustainable, and cumbersome due diligence for rights holders.
Scaling such an approach across an entire country’s linguistic diversity is not feasible for the reasons mentioned above. Beyond addressing growing fans’ demands, the lack of effective content localisation is a missed opportunity for broadcasters and rights holders. Consider the vast archives of player interviews, documentaries, and behind-the-scenes footage they hold - how much of this content remains untapped simply due to the absence of a clear monetisation strategy driven by multilingual content?
These moments, though from the past, carry deep sentimental value for fans across generations. Think of Zinedine Zidane’s stunning volley against Bayer Leverkusen in the 2002 Champions League Final or Usain Bolt’s, record breaking 100m victory at the 2008 olympics in Beijing, celebrating 20 meters before crossing the finish line. What if this content could be reintroduced in a way that resonates culturally, and highlights details that feel personal and familiar? Wouldn’t that enhance its impact and create new revenue opportunities through sponsorships and new streams of ad revenue - especially when traditional sports business models are being challenged for their reliance on a conventional, outdated model that has reached its glass ceiling, resulting from its lack of efficiency in innovation when required?
Without proper localisation, sports organisations leave significant engagement and revenue on the table. Expanding into new markets requires more than translated feeds - it’s about making content culturally relevant and inclusive.
AI-Powered Localisation: A Game Changer?
Historically, the challenge of sports content localisation has been constrained by cost, logistics, and human resources. Rights Holders and broadcasters had to rely on extensive teams of commentators, translators, and dubbing professionals as well as complicated workflows to make content available in multiple languages. This meant hours of manual work, high production costs, and the near impossibility of scaling - making it infeasible to offer an interview, documentary, or match coverage in 50+ languages.
Enter AI-powered remote commentary and live audio translation, innovations that automate complex processes. Rights Holders no longer need to hire commentators for every dialect or spend excessive time and money on manual multi-lingual live streaming. AI can instantly generate high-quality, contextually accurate commentary and translations at scale, ensuring that both live and archived content is accessible to global audiences without traditional bottlenecks.
However, beyond efficiency, the real opportunity lies in effective monetisation. By saving time and resources, rights holders can reinvest in content creation, expanding their reach into new regions. Localised content isn't just about engagement - it’s a business driver. AI enables the rapid production of region-specific content, opening the door for local sponsorships, geo-targeted advertising, and increased fan-driven revenue streams. A single interview or highlight clip can now be adapted into dozens of languages, multiplying its value across different markets.
Social media further amplifies this opportunity. With AI, key moments like goals, interviews, and behind-the-scenes footage can be quickly repurposed for regional audiences, driving virality and deeper engagement. This extends beyond mere accessibility; it enhances personalisation, making content more relevant to fans in every market.
In the long run, AI-powered localisation may prove to be a growth enabler. Rights holders can create more content, generate more revenue, and establish stronger connections with fans worldwide. In an industry where global expansion is crucial, leveraging AI to scale content production and monetisation isn’t just an option - it’s becoming necessary. And this is how multilingual content is changing the future of sports viewing.
Case Study: CAMB.AI’s Role in Transforming Sports Engagement
CAMB.AI is redefining the possibilities of AI-driven content localisation, making it a must-have tool for sports organisations looking to expand their global footprint. From live multilingual streaming to video-on-demand (VOD) translation, CAMB.AI’s tech ensures that sports content is made accessible to audiences everywhere and in the language they prefer.
One of CAMB.AI’s standout solutions is DubStream, which delivers real-time AI-powered commentary in multiple languages, allowing fans to enjoy live sports events without language limitations. This solution has already been successfully implemented in Eurovision Sport’s live sports dubbing and MLS NEXT Pro’s Generation Adidas Cup, demonstrating how leagues and broadcasters can enhance global fan engagement through scalable, high-quality localisation.
A common concern with AI-driven translations is that they cannot retain the authenticity and originality of voice post translations. CAMB.AI tackles that concern with its proprietary AI models, MARS AI and BOLI AI. These models extend the capabilities of speech and translation technology far beyond live commentary. MARS AI is designed to replicate speaker identity, style, and emotional nuance across 140+ languages, making it the first-ever AI voice model available on AWS Bedrock. This ensures that translations maintain authenticity and resonance with audiences.
Meanwhile, BOLI AI enhances contextual accuracy, ensuring translations capture not just words but the cultural and linguistic intricacies of each region. The beauty of CAMB’s solution is its ability to cater to diverse verticals within the spectrum of entertainment. In December 2024, the Dubai-based startup partnered with IMAX, the Canadian production theatre company known for its massive theatres and immersive movie experiences. IMAX will use CAMB’s AI speech models to translate original content, including documentaries.
CAMB.AI’s versatility in catering to multiple industries within entertainment positions it as the go-to language partner for sports organisations, broadcasters, and media companies looking to scale content localisation through AI. The company's flexibility to deliver multiple translation options - dubbing, over-dubbing, subbing - is tailored to the organisation's needs to offer an internationalisation solution without infringing IP topics. As cool as a video of Zlatan speaking in Arabic might sound, there are IP issues in the fact of using his voice without his agreement through traditional dubbing capabilities, whereas overdubbing with a synthetic or internal talent’s voice or adding subtitles in any language, are a great way of making this content more accessible. In an industry where AI has become a buzzword, the real challenge isn’t the lack of finding a solution - it’s the lack of clarity among rights holders and broadcasters on which of these solutions genuinely address their business needs without delivering a poor return on investment.
The company stands apart with its deep expertise in sports-specific AI translation, offering more than just an AI solution but strategic guidance on leveraging the technology. By integrating AI-powered translation into social media highlights, second-screen experiences, and real-time fan interactions, CAMB.AI helps sports organisations extend their reach, increase engagement, and unlock new revenue streams. As AI continues to shape the future of content, sports organisations need a partner that understands both the technology and the industry. CAMB.AI delivers just that, enabling global growth for multilingual sports viewing.
The LFP - Ligue De Football Professionnel partnered with CAMB to bring French Football to its global fans
Balancing Innovation with Responsibility
"With great innovation comes great responsibility." Just as Spider-Man’s famous mantra reminds us, the sports industry must carefully balance the power of AI, leveraging it for growth while ensuring it enhances, rather than undermines, the integrity of content creation and delivery.
AI has the power to handle large-scale, repetitive localisation tasks with great speed, but it raises natural concerns about the displacement of human roles and making them redundant, particularly in areas like translation and voiceover. CAMB.AI takes a human-first approach, where AI serves as an enabler rather than a replacer. Instead of eliminating human involvement, CAMB.AI’s AI solutions free up professionals to focus on higher-value creative and strategic tasks - from refining translations to adding cultural depth. The goal is not to remove human expertise but to integrate AI into workflows in ways that enhance efficiency without sacrificing quality.
Cultural and Contextual Sensitivity
Language carries cultural weight, historical context, and emotional nuance. AI, if not trained correctly, can struggle with subtleties like colloquialisms, idioms, and dialectal shifts, leading to mistranslations that risk alienating audiences rather than engaging them. CAMB.AI addresses this challenge through BOLI AI, its proprietary contextual translation model. Unlike generic AI translation tools, BOLI AI is trained with cultural intelligence, ensuring that translations go beyond mere words to capture intent, tone, and regional nuance. This level of sophistication helps broadcasters and sports rights holders deliver authentic, localised content that truly resonates with their target audiences.
Avoiding AI Standardisation
One of the biggest risks in AI-driven content localisation is the loss of authenticity - where voices start to sound robotic, emotions are flattened, and the context of spoken words gets diluted. This is especially critical in sports broadcasting, where excitement, tension, and spontaneity drive engagement. CAMB.AI counters this issue with MARS AI, a model designed to replicate speaker identity and prosody across over 140 languages. By preserving the natural cadence, emotion, and energy of original commentary, CAMB.AI ensures that sports content retains its excitement and vibrancy,
The Varying Maturity of AI: Why Not All AI is Created Equal
AI is very powerful, but it is not perfect - and any company claiming otherwise is overpromising. The reality is that the maturity of AI solutions matters, and the sports industry must differentiate between true AI players and "wrapper" companies that merely apply off-the-shelf models without deep technological expertise. There’s no shortage of AI-driven localisation tools on the market, but only a handful truly understand the specific needs of sports broadcasters and rights holders. CAMB.AI doesn’t just apply AI to translation - it builds AI for sports and entertainment, fine-tuning its models along the journey to ensure scalability, adaptability, and long-term partnership potential.
AI is constantly evolving, and sports organisations need a partner that understands this evolution and can iterate alongside them. Instead of offering a one-size-fits-all approach, CAMB.AI works collaboratively with leagues, broadcasters, and media companies, ensuring its solutions refine and improve over time. This adaptability is what sets real AI innovators apart from the noise in the market and positions them as a trusted partner for sports and entertainment.
Conclusion:
Multilingual sports content isn’t just a future trend - it’s happening now. AI-powered solutions like CAMB.AI are changing the game, allowing sports organisations to engage wider audiences, unlock new revenue streams, and create more inclusive fan experiences.
The real question isn’t whether AI-powered localisation will shape sports engagement. It’s how quickly sports organisations will embrace it. Because in a world where every second of fan attention matters, speaking their language might just be the biggest play of all.