Sports networks have pretty much always had sponsored segments during NFL broadcasts. Everything from replay cameras to down markers have been sponsored at one point or another. But one new sponsorship that CBS is doing for their broadcasts has fans fuming.
During their Week 1 broadcasts, any segments where they would move attention from the field to the sideline reporter received the addendum “sponsored by ChatGPT.”
“As we go downstairs for the sideline report, presented by ChatGPT, here’s Aditi,” Spiro Dedes said during today’s Jets-Titans game when sending the camera to Aditi Kinkhabwala.
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Fans vs. AI
It’s not exactly a secret that ChatGPT and other generative AI companies are highly polarizing among fans these days. So when fans first heard that ChatGPT was sponsoring the sideline reports, many immediately took to X to complain about it:
“‘The sideline report presented by Chat GPT.’ Oh yeah I hate that,” one user wrote on X.
“CBS sideline report “sponsored by ChatGPT” is certainly something!” wrote another.
“The irony in ChatGPT sponsoring something that can literally only be done by humans interviewing and interacting with other humans,” wrote a third.
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“Nah why is ChatGPT presenting my sideline report? I don’t need ai generated sports reporting now.”
ChatGPT must be paying a lot of money to get their name on the sideline report sponsorship. CBS Sports has to know that they’re poking a hornet’s nest by courting the AI company.
