Abstract: The sports domain is currently undergoing an era of deep integration between digitalization and digital intelligence, which is highly prone to causing public confusion regarding the distinctions between sports digitalization and sports digital intelligence. To clarify the core relationship between the two, this paper analyzes their fundamental definitions, as well as the similarities and differences. The analysis reveals that they exhibit the homogeneity in terms of technological-driven, progressive evolution and shared structural elements; at the same time they demonstrate the heterogeneity in data processing approaches, depth of human-machine collaboration, demand fulfillment models and core competency cultivation. In the new-era context, sports digital intelligence manifests the practical paradigms characterized by virtual-real integration, intelligence empowerment, human-machine co-creation and data value augmentation. Also it bears the value appeal of advancing the development of a sports power. The paper accordingly proposes the practical pathways as follows: strengthening policy safeguards, consolidating infrastructure support, deepening scenario innovation and empowering stakeholder development. These pathways will facilitate the successful transformation of sports digital intelligence and achieve a comprehensive advancement across multidimensional scenarios.