IN SPORT & Sports AI Experience OzFest in Las Vegas as AI Conversations Shape the Future of Sport
Las Vegas is buzzing right now — not just because of the NRL fixtures — but because of the conversations happening behind the scenes about where sport is heading next.
Today, IN SPORT co-director Nicole Lacey attended OzFest in Las Vegas alongside Sports AI developers Graeme Bradshaw and Emma Hutson, as part of the broader activation surrounding the NRL’s presence in the U.S.
OzFest (Australian Festival of Sport & Innovation) isn’t a fan festival — it’s where the builders, thinkers and innovators of sport come together. It’s focused on sports technology, artificial intelligence, commercial growth and how Australian innovation is stepping confidently onto the global stage.
And the conversations were powerful.
One of the standout moments featured Dr. Martin Schlegel from the Australian Sports Technologies Network (ASTN), Australia’s leading body for sports technology and innovation.
His message was clear: collaborative AI ecosystems are pushing sport beyond traditional media structures.
We’re no longer operating in a world where sport is controlled solely by mainstream broadcasters. AI-driven platforms are enabling organisations to:
Own their distribution
Build direct-to-audience communities
Capture smarter data
Tell stories without gatekeepers
For IN SPORT, this couldn’t be more aligned.
Sports AI — led by Graeme Bradshaw and Emma Hutson — has been working closely with IN SPORT to bring the app’s infrastructure to life. Their expertise in AI-powered systems and scalable sports technology is helping build a platform that doesn’t rely on legacy media models.
Instead, it’s built around:
Ambassador-led storytelling
Direct app access
Community-driven narratives
Global reach without traditional broadcast dependency
Being in the room at OzFest reinforced something important — this isn’t theory. This shift is already happening.
With the NRL leveraging Las Vegas as an international growth moment, OzFest is the parallel innovation engine — connecting Australian sport-tech businesses to global opportunity.
For IN SPORT and Sports AI, today wasn’t just about attending an event. It was about standing inside a collaborative environment where technology, storytelling and global sport are converging in real time.
And it confirmed one thing:
The future of sport isn’t just being televised.
It’s being built.
