NielsenSports SA launches AI-powered platform, putting 150 million sports fan data points at users’ fingertips

Nielsen Sports South Africa used its Annual Sports Trends Breakfast, held on 23 July 2026 at The Forum, Bryanston, to unveil SIYA (Sponsorship Intelligence Yielding Answers), an AI-powered platform that enables brands, rights holders and broadcasters to access Nielsen Fan Insights research and receive real-time, verified insights in minutes.

SIYA gives Nielsen Sports SA subscribers direct access to more than 150 million sports fan data points from a catalogue of Fan Demographics, Sport and Lifestyle Awareness, Sport and Lifestyle Interest, Sport Consumption Behaviours, Media Platforms used to consume sports and Sport Participation research, just to name a few available topics. Users can ask natural-language questions in all eleven South African languages and instantly generate tailored charts, reports and audience breakdowns, comparing fan behaviour across sports, demographics, interests and lifestyle categories.

Built in-house. Grounded in research. Ready now.

SIYA was developed entirely in-house by the Nielsen Sports SA technology and engineering team over the past year. It was a deliberate process of integrating the depth of the Nielsen Fan Insights research product with the accessibility of a conversational AI interface. The result is a platform that does not generate assumptions or synthesise generic data, instead every response is drawn from and verified against Nielsen Sports SA’s primary research.

“We spent the last year asking one question: how do we make 150 million data points feel as simple as a conversation? SIYA was the answer.

“We built it from the inside out, starting with the research we have been conducting across South Africa for the past four years, and engineering an interface that allows clients to access it the way they actually think about their business.

“We believe we have launched a truly game-changing South African sports industry innovation, and with the relevant consent, what comes next is the integration of total audience sports consumption and viewership data – which is where it gets truly exciting,” said Tumelo Selikane, Managing Director of Nielsen Sports South Africa.

Speed of delivery.

Where research has traditionally required briefing an analyst and waiting a few days for a report, SIYA transforms that process into a conversation – giving Nielsen Sports SA a competitive edge. Each query returns data points and presentation-ready insights within minutes rather than weeks.

That speed creates value differently depending on who is asking. For brands and sponsors, it enables faster, more informed investment decisions. For rightsholders, it strengthens the commercial evidence behind sponsorship proposals. For broadcasters, it becomes a live planning tool as audience behaviours continue to shift across platforms.

For complex tasks and comparisons, you can also request direct access to internal expertise directly off the platform, which will provide you with the necessary human support and data verification when it matters most.

This innovation also provides Nielsen Sports SA with greater visibility into the questions clients are asking and their needs, helping shape future research priorities and ensuring evolving Fan Insights are captured and reported on alongside the needs of the sports industry.

That combination of speed and verified data makes SIYA a strategic asset for any organisation navigating a sponsorship decision or planning  fan or audience-led campaign.

For organisations wishing to see SIYA demonstrated with their own data questions, Nielsen Sports SA is offering in-person workshops and live demo sessions.

To book a demo or enquire about subscription access, contact the Nielsen Sports SA team at info@nielsensports.co.za. Full subscription details and tier pricing are available on request.