Abstract Introduction: While many AI-based startups have entered the sports market, there is still a lack of research on their innovations and strategies in marketing. The role of AI in sports analytics, player tracking, and injury prevention in sports has been explored, but there is no research on how startups are using AI for marketing. As a result, the aim of this article was to examine the marketing of AI-based sports startups. Method: This research was conducted with the aim of analyzing the marketing of sports startups based on artificial intelligence. This research is of an applied type in which case studies, documents and interviews were used to collect information. The participants in the research included the owners and stakeholders of sports startups that used artificial intelligence for marketing purposes. Results: The findings showed that despite the availability of AI tools and platforms, sports startups face barriers related to data quality, technical complexity, integration with existing systems, ethical considerations, and measuring return on investment. Marketing strategies tailored to AI included: creating targeted marketing campaigns, data-driven decision-making, content marketing optimization, intelligent engagement, and human- and value-driven marketing. Conclusion: As a result, sports startups can leverage AI capabilities to implement innovative marketing strategies tailored to their unique needs and goals, helping to grow their marketing and business.
