Between Passion and Prediction: AI, Identity, and Fan Engagement among Generation Z Football Supporters

This study explores how Generation Z football fans experience and evaluate AI-mediated sports content through a cognitive affective behavioral (CAB) framework. Drawing on qualitative interviews with football fans in Cyprus, the study examines how cognitive evaluations of AI-driven communication shape affective responses and, in turn, influence behavioral engagement. The findings indicate that while participants often perceive AI as a useful and efficient informational tool, such cognitive acceptance does not automatically translate into positive emotional responses. Concerns related to authenticity, emotional realism, and symbolic meaning frequently limit affective resonance, resulting in selective rather than fully integrated behavioral adoption. These patterns highlight that engagement with AI among Generation Z fans is conditional and mediated by emotional expectations rather than driven solely by technological capability. By applying the CAB framework, the study contributes to sports marketing literature by demonstrating the importance of affective alignment in AI-mediated fan engagement and by emphasizing the need for emotionally sensitive and context-aware AI strategies within football fandom.