Securing the Sports Economy

Cyber risks are increasingly targeting global sports organizations amid rapid digital transformation—spanning wearables, biometric analytics, e-commerce, virtual fan engagement, and IoT-enabled smart stadiums. This chapter explores how AI-powered Intrusion Detection and Prevention Systems (IDPS) can safeguard the evolving sports tech ecosystem from threats such as ransomware, insider risks, data breaches, and online fraud. By leveraging machine learning–driven threat intelligence, anomaly detection, and behavioral analytics, sports businesses can build proactive, real-time defenses. The chapter also outlines frameworks for ethical and secure AI adoption—balancing real-time performance, regulatory compliance, and sensitive data protection, especially athlete health and fan financial data. Drawing on global case studies (e.g., ticketing fraud, league data breaches, and athlete data leaks), it equips CIOs and IT leaders with actionable insights and introduces a tailored AI-aligned risk modeling matrix for the sports industry.