Who Owns Genius Sports?

Genius Sports was founded in London in 2001 by Mark Locke. The company's origins are in building technology and data services for sports leagues, collecting and structuring live game information that could feed broadcast, betting, and media products. It grew through the 2000s and 2010s as legalized sports betting expanded, positioning itself as the official supplier of real-time data rather than a scraping or unofficial feed operation.

The company's strategy centered on exclusivity. Rather than competing with unofficial data providers on price, Genius Sports paid leagues for official rights deals, arguing that official status meant faster, more accurate, and legally protected data. This landed landmark agreements including its NFL partnership and its role as the Premier League's official data supplier, plus relationships with the NCAA, FIBA, and hundreds of other leagues and federations.

The pivotal corporate event came in 2021. Genius Sports went public on April 21, 2021, through a merger with dMY Technology Group II, a SPAC, listing on the NYSE as GENI. The deal valued the company in the billions and gave it capital to expand technology products including video and streaming tools for leagues.

Post-listing, Genius Sports broadened beyond data supply into a fuller sports technology platform. It built streaming and automated production technology for leagues, launched BetVision to deliver live streaming inside sportsbook apps, developed integrity monitoring services that flag suspicious betting patterns, and expanded fan engagement products. The company serves sportsbooks including the major US operators, broadcasters, and the leagues themselves.

The largest move in its history came in 2026. On February 5, 2026, Genius Sports announced a definitive agreement to acquire Legend, a digital sports and gaming media network that owns properties including Covers.com, Casino.org, and Casino Guru, in a deal valued at up to $1.2 billion. The acquisition closed May 1, 2026, adding a scaled media and advertising business alongside the data operation. Full-year 2026 guidance was raised to $1.005 to $1.025 billion in revenue and $285 to $295 million in adjusted EBITDA, reflecting the combined business.