ESPN is testing <a target="_blank" href="https://www.espnfrontrow.com/2024/11/generative-ai-avatar-facts-announced-at-4th-annual-espn-edge-conference/”>an ai generated avatar with Saturday's college football show SEC Nation. Dubbed FACTS, it will “…promote education and fun around sports analysis” with information pulled from ESPN Analytics, including data such as the Football Power Index (FPI), player and team statistics, and game schedules. We haven't seen the avatar in action, but it looks like a botted version of the statistics encyclopedia. Howie Schwabwho was ESPN's first statistician and eventually the star of a mid-2000s game show, Bite the Schwab.
ESPN has already incorporated generative ai into its website with ai-written game recaps. FACTS is still in development and it is unknown when it might make its first appearance on the network.
In the announcement of its ESPN Edge Innovation Conference, the network states that FACTS is “absolutely not” meant to replace journalists or other talent. “FACTS is designed to test innovations in the market and create an outlet for ESPN Analytics data to be accessible to fans in an engaging and enjoyable segment,” the company writes.
