USA Law and Practice Contributed by: Irwin A. Kishner, Daniel A. Etna, Joel Wagman and Barry Werbin, Herrick, Feinstein LLP
10.3 The Metaverse The metaverse continues to develop as a digital envi - ronment enabled by virtual and augmented reality technologies, allowing users to interact with content and with each other in shared virtual spaces. By 2025, its use in sport has become more focused and prac - tical, with leagues, teams, and sponsors adopting specific applications rather than pursuing fully virtual alternatives to live sport. Sports Teams In 2025, professional sports leagues continued to experiment with virtual fan experiences that supple - ment traditional broadcasts. MLB expanded its MLB Virtual Ballpark, hosting interactive watch parties that allow fans’ avatars to gather inside a shared digital stadium while viewing live games together. Similar approaches appeared internationally, with global soc - cer organisations using immersive gaming platforms to offer interactive experiences that sit alongside, rather than replace, live matches. Sports Training Immersive technology is also increasingly used in ath - lete training. VR platforms such as STRIVR are used across the NFL, NBA, and college football to simulate game situations and allow athletes to practice deci - sion-making and recognition skills without physical contact. In baseball, tools like WIN Reality are widely used to train pitch recognition by recreating real pitch - ers and game conditions in virtual environments, sup - plementing on-field practice.
to better plan training programmes and develop play strategies. AI has also been utilised to help many MLB franchises ingest large amounts of player data to gen - erate reports, thereby helping to automate the talent acquisition process, provide analytics for sports bet - ting, and offer comprehensive data to players, coach - es and fans. It has also found applications in game analytics; for example, umpire, referee and judge assistance to make more accurate decisions during play and competitions. AI has generated personal - ised fan experiences, including real time customised highlights, augmented reality overlays and interactive broadcast features. AI also promises enhanced efficiency within stadiums. Facial recognition AI has already been introduced to streamline ticketless entry features. Other current applications are now being piloted in sports arenas to facilitate sales of merchandise, food and beverages through autonomous checkout systems. Opportunities and risks As with any new technology, AI presents opportunities for further evaluation and has already revealed certain risks. For example, certain generative AI tools con - tinue to “hallucinate” data, meaning that they respond to prompts with invented information. Other potential stumbling blocks include licensing and other IP con - cerns.
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