--- title: "Startup Exec Boasts About Using AI to Churn Out Sports Content “Without Human Input”" description: "A startup is blazing new territory by churning out World Cup-themed AI slop for sports broadcasters all around the world." date: "2026-07-05" modified: "2026-07-05" authors: - name: "Joe Wilkins" job_title: "Correspondent" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/jwilkins" url: "https://futurism.com/artificial-intelligence/ai-startup-sports-world-cup-video-slop" categories: - "Artificial Intelligence" - "Ethics" --- # Startup Exec Boasts About Using AI to Churn Out Sports Content “Without Human Input” ![A photograph of soccer players on a field that has had a smoothing oil painting filter applied comically to such a degree that nothing appears to have any details, in imitation of early AI slop art.]() *Illustration by Tag Hartman-Simkins / Futurism. Source: Shutterstock* Do you like kicking back and watching some sports after a long day? Do you like AI? Would you like more AI-generated content in your sports? You might not have much of a choice — at least if Itai Epstein, vice president of new ventures at WSC Sports, has anything to say about it. At the Microsoft AI Tour Tel Aviv 2026, [*Calcalist* reports](), Epstein bragged that his company is blazing new territory by churning out World Cup-themed AI slop for sports broadcasters all around the world. "With AI, you can create much more personalized, local sports content, where everyone can see only what they want, when they want, where they want," the VP boasted, referring to the firm's handling of live- and post-game video content. Epstein was particularly proud of his work with *Kan 11*, an Israeli-state owned broadcaster which partnered with WSC to provide [AI-generated material]() centered around the [World Cup]() in North America. "We have a partnership with Kan 11 in which we create content for everyone who watches World Cup coverage," Epstein explained, per *Calcalist*. "Everyone who watches sports content in Israel also receives stories through us that are updated live during the game, as well as summaries of the matches. All the World Cup content you watch comes from WSC Sports." Asked by panelists whether WSC's sports content is "produced automatically, without human input," editing, or "studio production," Epstein said: yep! "AI analyzes the game in real time, identifies what is interesting, and produces all kinds of content for digital, television, and every platform," he boasted. "In the last two years, we've built a new division called WSC Studios, which uses generative models for text, audio, image, and video, and we create sports content for kids," Epstein continued, per *Calcalist*'s transcript. "For example, with the NBA, we created brand-new characters, Alley and Oop, who teach kids about the NBA. We're doing this with other clients around the world." "It's an illustrated digital series with two kid characters who are like NBA creators for kids, and they have a magic bus, their 'Hoopmobile,' that takes them from city to city in the United States," he continued. "They teach kids about the players, the game, and the teams, and that's part of what we're doing to connect the next generation to sports." You can check out "[The Alley & Oop Show" here](), if you're curious. Epstein bragged that, in addition to automating the content-sharing process, AI has resulted in significant reductions in staff. Character voices for the kids' programming, for example, is synthesized using "text-to-speech models based on cloned versions of the actors' voices," while adult sports series require "a lot fewer people" to produce. It's worth noting that AI systems are notoriously bad at analyzing, indexing, and labeling sport events, as a [recent study]() found. Given that a significant chunk of WSC's businesses seems to revolve around "transform\[ing\] live and archived sports content into intelligent, searchable, and personalized experiences," it's hard to say how much of Epstein's gasconade is based on real results, and how much is just public relations bluster. The proof will be in the pudding: will sports fans embrace the play, or call foul on this type of AI slop? **More on sports:** *[Fans Aghast as New York Jets Say They're Switching to AI]()* ## Author At Futurism, I focus on the intersection of technology and power — examining the economics, history, and politics behind today’s dystopian headlines. As a writer, I’m interested in topics ranging from AI’s impact on labor to startups nobody asked for. My prior work includes bylines in Jacobin, Verso, and Blue Labyrinths. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Forbes, The Guardian, MIT Technology Review, Time, The Nation, Mother Jones, The Verge, and Wired. I grew up in Michigan, attending Central Michigan University as well as Ball State University, where I earned a master of music. I now live in Brooklyn with my girlfriend and our cat Ziti. On weekends, you can find me hunched over a cold pint arguing geopolitics with the other transplants. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()