MLB Players Get AI Doubles in Groundbreaking Fan Engagement Deal

LOS ANGELES, CA – February 05, 2026 – Major League Baseball fans will soon have the chance to interact directly with their favorite players in a way that was once the stuff of science fiction. In a landmark collaboration announced today, AI avatar company Genies and MLB Players, Inc., the business arm of the players' union, are teaming up to create interactive AI characters of the game's biggest stars.

The partnership promises to transform the fan experience, moving beyond passive social media follows and game-day viewing into a new era of direct, personalized engagement. Using Genies' proprietary technology, players who opt into the program will have a "Smart Avatar" created in their likeness, capable of holding conversations, expressing personality, and interacting with fans across various digital platforms.

The Next Frontier in Fan Engagement

This initiative represents a significant shift in how sports properties are approaching digital interaction. As fans increasingly seek deeper, more authentic connections with athletes, the traditional one-to-many broadcast model of social media is being challenged. This collaboration aims to replace it with millions of one-to-one relationships.

Genies will leverage its sophisticated technology, which combines large language models (LLMs) with behavioral AI, to auto-generate what it calls "interactive, personality-driven avatars." The goal is to create more than just a chatbot with a famous face; the avatars are designed to be intelligent, expressive, and adaptive, reflecting the unique personalities of the players they represent.

"This collaboration marks a transformative moment in how fans will experience and connect with Major League Baseball players," said Akash Nigam, CEO and Founder at Genies, in the official announcement. "Our technology uniquely positions us to bring a wide variety of IP to life as interactive, embodied personas at a scale that has never been possible before. We're creating opportunities for millions of fans to build connections with the athletes they admire."

For the players' association, the deal is a strategic move to capitalize on the cultural influence of its members and engage a global fanbase. "Today's players are powerful drivers of culture, with a global fanbase that continues to grow," noted MLB Players, Inc. President Evan Kaplan. "This initiative is a key part of our broader strategy to connect with fans worldwide through innovative digital experiences that honor player authenticity."

The Digital Double Play: Player Rights and New Revenue

A critical component of the deal is the framework governing player rights, compensation, and control. Participation is not mandatory; players must opt-in to have their AI likeness created. Under the agreement managed by MLB Players, Inc., which handles group licensing for all active players, athletes can license their name, likeness, voice, and personality for use in apps, games, and social platforms.

This opens up significant new revenue streams. Genies will have the ability to monetize the experience through methods like fan subscriptions for chatting with a player's avatar, the sale of virtual merchandise, or access to bespoke content. The revenue generated will be governed by the standard group licensing framework, ensuring players who participate are compensated.

Crucially, the partnership emphasizes player control. While Genies can auto-generate a baseline 3D avatar for every player using data provided by MLB Players Inc., individual athletes can manage their AI companion through a private portal. They have the option to add more personal material—training the AI on specific content to make the interactions more authentic and aligned with their personal brand. This hybrid approach ensures a scalable rollout while allowing for deep personalization by those who choose to invest the time.

Beyond the Bat: Authenticity and the Ethics of AI Likeness

As AI-generated content becomes more sophisticated, the collaboration walks a fine line between innovation and the ethical complexities of digital identity. The specter of unauthorized "deepfakes" and the misuse of celebrity likenesses looms large over the tech industry.

In this context, Genies is positioning its platform as a "rights-safe framework," designed to give creators ownership and control over their digital selves. The MLBPA, a member of the Human Artistry Campaign, has been a vocal advocate for ethical AI development. The association's stance is clear: AI developers must secure consent and provide fair market compensation for using an athlete's voice and likeness, and AI should not be exempt from copyright law.

The partnership is structured to honor these principles. The AI avatars will be trained on approved materials to ensure the text and voice responses feel genuine while remaining within licensing guidelines. This controlled environment aims to protect player authenticity and prevent misrepresentation. However, the challenge of maintaining that authenticity at scale—across millions of unique fan interactions—will be a continuous test for the platform's underlying technology and oversight mechanisms. The success of the venture will hinge not just on technical prowess but on building and maintaining trust with both players and fans.

Scaling a Digital League

The deal with MLB Players, Inc. is just the opening act for Genies, which has raised $200 million from high-profile investors like Silverlake and Bob Iger. CEO Akash Nigam has indicated this is the first of several planned announcements with major sports leagues and entertainment companies. The company's long-term vision is ambitious: to become the universal "visual layer for large language models," effectively giving a face, body, and soul to abstract AI.

This places Genies in a burgeoning and competitive field. Companies like Mimic Productions are also developing lifelike digital athletes for fan engagement and coaching. The entire sports industry is exploring how digital human technology can expand reach and personalize experiences.

However, scaling a platform of this magnitude presents formidable challenges. Ensuring seamless, high-quality performance across countless devices and platforms requires immense technical infrastructure. Maintaining the delicate balance between automated efficiency and personalized authenticity for a full roster of players—not just a handful of superstars—is a complex logistical puzzle. Furthermore, the legal and regulatory landscape for AI and digital IP is in constant flux, requiring nimble adaptation to remain compliant. This partnership is not just a new product launch; it's a bold, long-term bet on the future of digital identity and entertainment.