Genius Sports acquires Sports Innovation Lab for undisclosed sum

Summary

Genius Sports has acquired Boston-based fan data and analytics specialist Sports Innovation Lab for an undisclosed sum. The deal merges Genius’ official league data with Sports Innovation Lab’s fan intelligence model, which tracks billions of annual transactions across attendance, purchases and viewership to create a 360-degree view of the modern fan journey.

The integrated platform will let advertisers, brands and sports organisations run more precise, real-time campaigns and measure returns more accurately by linking on-field performance with off-field consumer behaviour. Genius will combine these insights with its FANHub platform, partnerships with ad-tech firms including LiveRamp, The Trade Desk and Amazon Ads, and its proprietary GeniusIQ technology to align campaigns with key sporting moments.

Key Points

Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
The acquisition pairs Genius’ official sports data with Sports Innovation Lab’s fan intelligence, covering attendance, purchases and viewership data.
The combined platform aims to give advertisers and rights-holders a 360-degree view of fan behaviour to enable more targeted, measurable campaigns.
Genius plans to integrate the data into FANHub and leverage ad-tech partnerships (LiveRamp, The Trade Desk, Amazon Ads) and GeniusIQ to boost campaign effectiveness.
Genius says the deal will extend its reach into new customer networks and accelerate growth in its media business.
The move comes amid fierce competition for sports sponsorship dollars; major US team sponsorships were valued at $7.6bn in 2024.
Genius reported strong Q2 2025 results: revenue of $118.7m, up 24% year-on-year, and works with 700+ sports organisations including the NFL and English Premier League.

Context and Relevance

This acquisition matters because it tightens the link between sports data and consumer marketing. By uniting match-event data with granular fan behaviour, Genius is positioning itself to sell higher-value, targeted inventory to advertisers and unlock new commercial products for leagues and clubs. The deal also underscores a broader industry trend: rights-holders and data firms are increasingly monetising first-party fan intelligence to counter rising ad costs and measurement challenges in digital channels.

For media buyers, agencies and sponsorship teams, this could mean cleaner audience segments, better measurement of sponsorship ROI and more opportunities to activate campaigns around emotional sporting moments. For rights-holders, it promises new revenue streams and stronger commercialisation of fan engagement — including in areas like women’s sport, where Sports Innovation Lab has significant research experience.

Why should I read this?

Short version: if you work in sports media, sponsorship, advertising or fan engagement, this is worth a glance — maybe a full read. Genius just bolted on serious fan-intelligence power, which could change how audiences are targeted and how sponsorship value is measured. If you’re chasing better targeting, measurement or new commercial products, this deal will affect the playing field.