AFL orders Sportsbet to remove AI-generated videos featuring players made without consent

The Australian Football League has directed its betting partner Sportsbet to remove social media videos that used artificial intelligence to depict professional players without their permission. The league also told the operator to stop producing comparable content unless the athletes involved have approved it.

According to The Guardian, the clips placed AFL figures in fictional scenarios drawn from pop culture and real sporting events, apparently aimed at generating buzz through humour among younger audiences. One video showed former Brisbane Lions midfielder Lachie Neale appearing to give an acceptance speech after signing with Collingwood, recreating a 2018 speech by rapper Snoop Dogg. Another featured Brisbane Lions player Will Ashcroft delivering a line from the series Ozark, used to comment on Fremantle's late-game tactics in the 2026 AFL Grand Final. The material also included imagery of Hawthorn coach Sam Mitchell and former North Melbourne coach Alastair Clarkson, as well as Supercars driver Anton De Pasquale, who ran out of fuel late in the Bathurst race.

The Australian Football League Players Association had raised concerns with the league beforehand. The union argued the videos breached the current collective bargaining agreement, which governs commercial use of players' images. The 2023-2027 deal permits some uses of player footage without individual consent, but it does not specifically cover AI-produced content.

The AFL said it will keep working with commercial partners to develop appropriate practices as AI technology evolves. Sportsbet said it would consider feedback from its partners and the wider community while reviewing its approach to AI content. Independent senator David Pocock said the case shows the need for stronger safeguards against AI-generated impersonation and voiced concern about athletes' likenesses being used to market gambling products without consent. Researchers also questioned whether Sportsbet had properly considered the commercial rights attached to athletes' identities.

The dispute arrives as Australia prepares new advertising restrictions. From 1 January 2027, betting firms will be barred from using celebrities and sports stars in advertisements. A previous report suggested the AFL could lose about $80 million a year if gambling advertising were banned comprehensively, highlighting the financial stakes for sporting bodies adapting to tighter rules.