The aim of the present study was to model the functions of artificial intelligence in Iranian sports startups. This study was applied in terms of its purpose and mixed in terms of its implementation method. The statistical population in the qualitative section included sports science professors, marketing and branding specialists, sports entrepreneurs, sports company owners, and artificial intelligence specialists, who were interviewed using purposive sampling. Also, the research questionnaire was completed by 205 people from the statistical population. The data analysis method in the qualitative section was content analysis, and in the quantitative section, structural equation modeling using SmartPLS version 3 software. In order to confirm the face validity of the content, the questionnaire was first approved by 9 experts, and the divergent and convergent validity of the questionnaire was also confirmed by the Fornell-Larker criterion and the square of the extracted variance. The research findings showed the functions of artificial intelligence in 3 main themes of content, management and analytical functions in the form of 9 sub-themes and 51 open codes, also the findings of structural equation modeling indicated the favorable fit of the qualitative research model. In a general conclusion, it should be noted that the category of artificial intelligence is very helpful considering the nature of start-up companies that seek quick profitability, and despite its many benefits, the function of artificial intelligence technology must be properly trained by specialists and experts so that entrepreneurs and people who own sports businesses can use it in the best way.