The NFL and Genius Sports reached a two-year extension for the London-based firm to continue as the exclusive distributor of real-time, official play-by-play and gambling data to sportsbooks and media companies around the world.
The deal includes expanded rights for Genius to monetize NFL IP in two new ways. Genius can now sell ad inventory on the NFL BetVision streams, which are the streams of live games in the sportsbook apps. Genius Sports also gains the right to sell ads across the NFL’s owned-and-operated digital empire, leveraging Genius’ FanHub platform. The agreement includes further collaboration between Genius and the NFL on future activations with FanHub.
FanHub launched in the fall as an omnichannel marketing platform for brands to target sports fans. It allows advertisers the ability to make programmatic and social media placements.
In Wednesday’s announcement, Genius Sports CEO Mark Locke highlighted the expanded NFL deal as a key milestone for FanHub’s rollout, which he believes will set a new standard in a data-driven experience for fans, broadcasters, sportsbooks and sponsors.
Genius declined to comment on the financial terms of the partnership.
The NFL and Genius first partnered in 2021 after a months-long bidding process, where Genius emerged ahead of rival and previous NFL partner Sportradar. In 2023, they reached an extension that ran through the 2027 NFL season. This deal aligns the two properties through the Super Bowl in February 2030.
Genius will remain the middleman between the NFL’s official data feed and sportsbooks looking to build markets off the fastest possible in-game information. Genius also sells data to media companies—that’s the “Next Gen Stats” fans see on broadcasts—and serves as the exclusive gatekeeper to live game broadcasts that sportsbooks can purchase to show alongside their odds.
The NFL is the dominant force in U.S. broadcasting, with 72 games in the top 100 TV broadcasts in 2024. The league is also dominant in U.S. sports betting, as the American Gaming Association projected American adults would bet $35 billion with legal sportsbooks during the 2024 season. Genius will continue to provide “integrity services” across all NFL games.
The NFL was granted 18.5 million Genius shares in the original 2021 deal and 4 million more shares for the 2023 extension.
Genius’ stock is up 76% over the last 12 months.
Genius Sports works with more than 700 sports organizations across leagues, sportsbooks, brands and broadcasters, including the EPL, NCAA, DraftKings, FanDuel, Coca-Cola, NBC and ESPN.
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