As audiences demand richer, more engaging content, Conversational AI is emerging as a transformative tool for entertainment and media. This technology bridges the gap between passive and interactive formats, offering new ways for consumers to connect with their favorite stories, teams, and platforms.

From interactive storytelling in gaming and film to AI-powered assistants that simplify content discovery, conversational AI is making media more accessible, immersive, and tailored to individual preferences. Industry leaders like ElevenLabs are at the forefront of these innovations, driving advancements that are reshaping how we consume, interact with, and create entertainment content.

Redefining entertainment with Conversational AI

Over the last decade, the way we consume media at home and on the move has transformed. The advent of streaming across film, TV and music has provided us access to almost any show, track, movie or slice of news in an instant. Even the way we engage with our devices is continually in transition. We now expect a coherent, personalized response and swift action taken.

In 2025 we anticipate that conversational AI will become increasingly built into media content itself, reshaping the way we consume and interact with our favored forms of entertainment on a daily basis. We will see a rise in interactive forms of entertainment, even in areas previously passive.

While our means of consuming media has somewhat shifted, the way we watch and listen has remained steady. Indeed, the instant accessibility of film has further enabled us to settle in to watch well worn flicks or binge-watch brand new shows whenever we want. In this regard, ‘passive consumption’ is, and likely always will be, a cornerstone of our modern routines.

As emerging technologies become increasingly familiar, though, we’re seeing the beginnings of a shift in preferences. Today, 43% of consumers prefer interactive video over traditional formats, and interactive content achieves 300% higher engagement rates than static formats.

These numbers reflect the growing preference for personalized content, control, and the kind of deeper engagement that is becoming so ubiquitous in other parts of our daily interactions with tech. Voice controlled functions within our media and entertainment setups are taken as standard nowadays, but in most cases, they facilitate discovery — and therefore the very ‘passive consumption’ that we know and love so well.

The evolution of interactivity in entertainment

While our love for passive consumption remains strong, interactive media is on the rise. The Interactive Multimedia Platforms (IMP) market has seen steady growth, rising from $1.6 billion in 2022 to a projected $2.5 billion by 2030, with a CAGR of 6.05%. By 2033, this market is expected to surpass $3.21 billion.

This growth aligns with the broader expansion of the media and entertainment industry as a whole, projected to grow from $27.72 billion in 2023 to $40.36 billion by 2028, driven by the increasing integration of digital technologies and interactive formats. And as the tools and technologies that facilitate our consumption of film, television, music and art become more sophisticated — expectations for storytelling and audience engagement follow.

Interactive media is particularly resonating with younger demographics. While 55% of Gen X and older audiences still prefer passive entertainment formats such as traditional film and TV, younger generations, including Gen Z and millennials, are embracing interactive experiences. Only 30% of these younger audiences prioritize traditional formats, with 19% engaging with interactive options like video games or user-generated content (UGC).

Applications in sports entertainment

Where the application of conversational AI directly into scripted entertainment has a way to go, live sports media is seeing remarkable expansion into AI, not just in revenue but also in driving fan engagement.

At a glance, the global AI in sports market is projected to grow from $1.03 billion in 2024 to $2.61 billion by 2030, at a CAGR of 16.7%. This growth is fueled by what leading players are seeing as huge potential for tools like conversational AI to revamp and supercharge fan engagement globally. In this sense, conversational AI offers a pathway towards:

• Deeper engagement: AI-powered platforms enable teams and franchises to deliver highly tailored experiences, improving fan loyalty and satisfaction
• Boosted sales: Enhanced fan interactions can lead to increased ticket and merchandise sales. Already, teams using conversational AI report higher conversion rates by improving the customer journey with tools like chatbots and virtual assistants
• New revenue streams: Sponsorship activation is another area seeing transformation. AI tools provide brands with direct communication channels to engage fans, delivering personalized promotions during events and increasing brand visibility

Younger audiences, in particular, are driving this demand for unique, immersive experiences. According to a PwC survey, they are 1.4 times more likely to attend live sporting events monthly than older generations, highlighting the value of interactivity over passive consumption.

Of course, that statistic alone is a positive sign for the survival and future security of fans attending live games, however we also believe it to be an indication of the growing penchant for unique experiences that carry the unique experience of live sport back into the home.

We anticipate that the clubs and franchises that move to adopt conversational AI into their content strategies will supercharge engagement and boost fan loyalty at an earlier phase.

Ai.lonso – updates and analysis from a fan favorite

Aston Martin’s collaboration with ElevenLabs on Ai.lonso is a prime example of how AI can elevate fan engagement and offer practical solutions within a crowded pack.

Embedded into the Aston Martin website, Ai.lonso allows fans to receive race insights and updates in English, Spanish, or French from the two-time world champion driver and team number one, Fernando Alonso.

Developed with ElevenLabs and DeepReel, the tool enables fans around the world to get updates in their chosen language, and is anticipated to foster affinity with the Aston Martin team beyond their regular fanbase. 

It’s a forward-looking innovation that major franchises across sports will need to consider in order to capture younger audiences earlier. Lastly, it’s one of the best examples for how conversational AI can immerse audiences in ways traditional fan engagement strategies can’t.

FACTS: Stats on hand with ESPN’s conversational AI Avatar

ESPN’s recent announcement of AI avatar FACTS and Aston Martin’s Ai.lonso showcase new means of presenting sports data in realtime, making analytics increasingly accessible and engaging for fans. FACTS is a conversational AI avatar currently in development with launch timing to be decided, as part of TV coverage for college football show SEC Nation in the US.

FACTS will be trialled for pre-game conversation and is designed to present data-driven insights, including the Football Power Index (FPI), player statistics, and game schedule. Built on NVIDIA’s Omniverse platform and powered by Azure OpenAI for language processing, as well as ElevenLabs for text-to-speech capabilities, FACTS is built on a solid base of AI infrastructure and will share complex sports data in a newly accessible and fun way.

While FACTS and Ai.lonso are still in their earliest phases, ESPN is exploring its potential integration into mainstream programming. This project reflects a broader trend at ESPN toward leveraging AI for innovative content delivery, including generative AI tools that create text summaries of sporting events.

Ai.lonso will soon be available in other, non-European languages — an optimization that we expect to boost global reach and marketing revenues for Aston Martin and Alonso’s own brand as an athlete.

Within the arena of sports broadcasting in both Europe and the US, rights holders are fighting to establish themselves as the authoritative voice in a crowded arena of broadcasters.

We foresee that the application of conversational AI can add a critical edge that keeps viewers across generations engaged, and provide the personal, in-depth edge to set their coverage and analysis apart.

Conversational AI in streaming

In an age where streaming platforms serve up a near endless ream of choice for consumption, audiences are increasingly facing a particularly modern paradox: the abundance of options often leads to frustration and disengagement. Decision fatigue, that is the cognitive overload caused by too many choices, has become a growing challenge for platforms, impacting user satisfaction and retention.

While some might shrug off the notion of decision fatigue as an example of hypermodern malaise, its scale and impact are significant.

• Time lost: Users spend an average of 24 minutes weekly deciding on TV shows and 25 minutes selecting films, amounting to over 100 days across a lifetime.
• Abandonment rate: 1 in 5 viewers abandon their viewing session entirely after failing to decide on content.
• Content overwhelm: 33% of users report feeling overwhelmed by the sheer number of options, while 49% admit they often take so long to decide that they end up watching nothing at all.

These patterns reduce satisfaction and diminish the enjoyment of streaming, directly impacting user engagement. To combat this, platforms are increasingly looking to technology for solutions.

The impact of conversational AI on streaming extends beyond solving decision fatigue — it offers platforms a competitive advantage including enhancing user satisfaction by simplifying discovery. Conversational AI reduces frustration and ensures users find content that aligns with their tastes.

This has a knock-on effect of increasing retention. By offering quick, personalized recommendations the platform can minimize abandonment rates and keep users engaged. This in turn can open opportunities for premium subscriptions, targeted advertising and cross-promotions.

As services are increasingly competing for subscriber loyalty, tools like Ava become key differentiators, offering tailored user experiences that stand out in a crowded market.

The future of voice AI in streaming

Looking ahead, conversational AI in streaming has the potential to redefine the user experience even further. Imagine:

• Interactive extras: AI-powered virtual assistants offering real-time trivia, behind-the-scenes insights, or interactive polls during a viewing session.
• Virtual meet-and-greets: Conversational AI avatars of actors or directors engaging with fans during live premieres or Q&A sessions.
• AI-powered franchise revivals: Voice assistants that extend the life of beloved characters, allowing fans to interact with them in personalised ways.

While Cineverse’s own depth of content isn’t currently competitive with the major players, we predict that similar styled personal, branded assistants will become commonplace for the likes of Netflix, Prime and Disney+.

Conversational AI enables accessibility in journalism

Beyond streaming, TIME Magazine’s collaboration with ElevenLabs demonstrates how conversational AI is pushing the boundaries of more traditional fields. By integrating AI-driven voice technology into their reporting, TIME has created a more interactive and engaging way for audiences to consume news.

The initiative introduces conversational AI voices to narrate TIME’s stories, offering listeners a personalised and immersive experience. Unlike traditional text or pre-recorded audio, conversational AI allows for dynamic interactions and interruption, adapting tone and pacing to suit listener preferences and mimic a natural interaction, and affording space for expanded learning around a topic.

• Enhanced accessibility: TIME’s narrated articles make content more accessible to visually impaired readers or those who prefer audio over text.
• Engaging storytelling: The use of lifelike AI voices transforms how audiences consume journalism, offering a richer, more immersive experience compared to static text or generic narration.
• Scalability: Conversational AI enables TIME to quickly scale audio content creation across its vast library of articles, ensuring a consistent yet flexible user experience.

TIME’s implementation of conversational AI into their online news stories also offers a look into the way we might engage with our favorite podcasts in years to come. The format’s remarkable rise from a relatively niche format, to a booming industry valued $2.3 billion and which attracts around 464.7 million listeners globally, indicates that it won’t be long before producers are looking to innovate further in order to attract and retain new listeners.

In terms of conversational AI, we foresee a huge opportunity for innovative production houses to implement a similar form of interactivity as TIME — whereby listeners can engage with their podcast in a more conversational manner, for example, at a predetermined moment seamlessly pieced amongst the bulk of traditional, pre-recorded segments.

Text to speech advertising

Further, podcasts are unique in the sense that in the traditional form, audio takes absolute priority. For many hosts, advertising is a necessary element that brings in significant revenue, but can take time away from content creation. By integrating text to speech voice AI into workflows, producers can streamline the time it takes to record and edit ads.

While hosts and talent might be skeptical of signing off on a cloned voice of theirs to engage in conversation, text-to-speech can be hugely beneficial for time-saving when it comes to recording ad segments in which the content, duration or nature of an offer might change frequently. 

Addressing key challenges

So, the benefits of conversational AI are clear, but implementing this transformative technology in entertainment isn’t without hurdles. Businesses and studios often face several challenges, but these can be addressed with thoughtful planning and the right tools. Let’s explore these challenges and how ElevenLabs can help overcome them.

Interactive formats are growing in popularity, but traditional passive consumption remains a cornerstone of entertainment. Audience preferences vary widely depending on demographics and region:

• North America: Social and location-based experiences, such as VR arcades, dominate, with 62% of users valuing interactive elements.
• APAC: Home to 1.48 billion gamers, the region prioritises mobile gaming and esports, emphasising real-time interactivity and social engagement.
• Europe: Immersive AR/VR attractions remain popular for their focus on storytelling.

Studios must carefully balance these preferences to avoid alienating passive viewers while appealing to younger, tech-savvy audiences who demand interactivity. Segmenting audiences effectively and tailoring strategies regionally is key. By leveraging ElevenLabs’ tools, studios can adapt their content to align with diverse audience preferences while maintaining accessibility and quality.

The cost of interactivity

Developing and maintaining conversational AI systems involves significant costs:

• Development: Building virtual assistants, voice cloning, or interactive characters requires advanced infrastructure and specialized expertise.
• Ongoing expenses: Regular updates and optimisation ensure systems remain functional and engaging, adding long-term costs.

Despite these expenses, the ROI potential is high:

• Enhanced engagement: Personalized interactions lead to longer engagement times and higher satisfaction.
• New revenue streams: AI-enhanced franchises report increased ticket sales, merchandise purchases, and sponsorship opportunities.
• Innovative pricing models: Subscription tiers or pay-per-use models for AI features can offset costs while making interactivity accessible.

Choosing a partner like ElevenLabs simplifies this process. With intuitive interfaces and scalable solutions, ElevenLabs helps reduce upfront development complexities and provides cost-effective tools for creating interactive, high-quality content.

Conversational AI also presents complex technical and ethical considerations that demand thoughtful solutions such as consent and ownership of voices. Voice cloning requires robust safeguards to prevent unauthorized use, as demonstrated by SAG-AFTRA’s consent agreements for performers’ digital likenesses.

There is also the risk of misinformation as deepfake technology could be used to distort reality. With this in mind it is important to ensure transparency and consistency to maintain trust. Similarly, it is important to ensure AI systems are trained on representative datasets that prioritize inclusivit and fair representation.

Audiences demand clear disclosures about how AI systems are developed and used. Regular audits and ethical guardrails are essential.

ElevenLabs operates with the highest ethical standards, ensuring every voice cloning project adheres to strict codes of conduct. Features like watermarking, verification processes, and transparent usage policies provide studios with the tools they need to build trust with audiences. By addressing ethical challenges proactively, ElevenLabs empowers studios to innovate responsibly and confidently.

For conversational AI to thrive in entertainment, studios and developers must address these challenges proactively. With ElevenLabs as a trusted partner, they can unlock the full potential of this technology while maintaining the highest standards of integrity and inclusivity.

The future of conversational AI in entertainment

While challenges like cost, audience segmentation, and ethical considerations are significant, they are far from insurmountable. With ongoing advancements in natural language processing, voice cloning, and AI infrastructure, conversational AI is poised to redefine storytelling, fan engagement, and accessibility in entertainment.

Empowering smaller creators

The democratization of AI tools is lowering barriers for independent creators, enabling them to adopt technologies that were once exclusive to major studios. Cloud-based AI, pre-trained models, and affordable voice cloning tools are helping indie filmmakers and small production houses create personalized and immersive experiences, broadening the reach of interactive entertainment.

Expanding applications

From interactive storytelling that adapts based on audience feedback to real-time fan engagement with AI-driven avatars, the possibilities for conversational AI are vast. Studios and creators have the opportunity to:

• Reinvent episodic narratives by making plotlines adaptive and personalized.
• Enhance live events with virtual meet-and-greets or AI-driven Q&A sessions.
• Streamline production processes through AI-assisted scriptwriting, voiceovers, and localisation.

A collaborative future

As conversational AI matures, its role in entertainment will expand beyond a supporting tool to a fundamental element of storytelling. By bridging the gap between passive and interactive formats, this technology offers new ways to captivate audiences and deepen their connection with content.

The last word

Conversational AI is placed to lead the way for new modes of interactivity in media and entertainment. While hurdles like cost, ethical concerns, and technical limitations remain, the ongoing innovations in this space are bridging the gap, making adoption not just feasible but beneficial.

At its core, conversational AI offers the opportunity to create richer, more personalised, and immersive experiences. Whether for large-scale franchises or independent creators, it holds the potential to redefine how stories are told and experienced. By addressing challenges thoughtfully, the industry can ensure that conversational AI enhances creativity and accessibility for all.

The future of entertainment is interactive, and conversational AI is leading the way.