Genius Sports Buys Sports Innovation Lab to Deepen Fan Data Reach
Genius Sports has acquired Sports Innovation Lab, a move aimed at combining official game data with detailed fan behavior intelligence. The deal broadens Genius Sports’ media division and gives it access to a network of brand and agency clients focused on fan engagement.
What the deal adds
Sports Innovation Lab has built one of the largest fan behavior databases in sports, tracking billions of annual transactions such as ticket purchases, media consumption, and merchandise sales. Its platform analyzes how fans spend, watch, and interact with sports content.
By folding that data into its own official game feeds, Genius Sports intends to give advertisers, leagues, and clubs a fuller picture of both on-field performance and off-field engagement. The company said this creates a “360° view of the modern fan journey.”
Mark Locke, CEO of Genius Sports, called the acquisition “an important step” for the company’s media strategy. He said the deal expands its reach into an existing customer network and will accelerate growth across multiple verticals.
Josh Walker, CEO of Sports Innovation Lab, said joining Genius gives his team an opportunity to scale globally. “Genius has always led the way in making sports more innovative, reshaping how technology connects fans to the games they love,” Walker said.
Media and marketing implications
The combined business will distribute fan audience segments through Genius Sports’ FANHub platform and via partners including LiveRamp, The Trade Desk, and Amazon Ads. By linking advertising campaigns directly to observed fan behaviors, Genius aims to help brands measure return on investment more precisely.
Its GeniusIQ platform adds a layer of real-time activation, allowing marketers to align campaigns with moments during games that carry the strongest emotional resonance.
In the United States, sponsorship spending on major teams reached $7.6 billion in 2024. Genius Sports believes the enlarged dataset will give rights holders new ways to prove value to sponsors, create targeted campaigns, and unlock incremental revenue.
The acquisition follows a run of recent deals for Genius Sports’ media unit, including an NFL extension and partnerships with PMG, EA Sports, and Verizon. Last year the company launched FANHub as its central media platform.
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