Genius Sports to Acquire Legend in $1.2bn Deal, Targeting Media and Data Expansion

Transaction set to combine official sports data with large-scale digital media reach

AJAndrew JonesEditorial Team

Genius Sports has agreed a $1.2 billion deal to acquire sports and gaming media technology company Legend, a move it says will significantly strengthen its position across data, media and advertising.

Announced on Thursday, the transaction includes $900 million payable at completion, made up of $800 million in cash and $100 million in Genius Sports shares. A further earnout of up to $300 million is tied to future performance milestones.

Genius Sports said the acquisition will create a “digital sports and gaming media powerhouse”, bringing together its official sports data and integrity services with Legend’s media technology and audience reach.

Legend operates a large-scale digital platform designed to connect users with relevant sportsbooks, gaming products and advertisers at key moments in the betting journey. In 2025, the company generated around 320 million annual visits, attracting 118 million unique users, with more than two-thirds returning regularly.

Genius Sports chief executive Mark Locke described the deal as a major step in the company’s long-term strategy.

“For Genius Sports and our global partners, it delivers more data, more audience, more inventory and greater monetisation of sports fans,” Locke said. “The acquisition of Legend will drive higher margins and stronger free cash flow, positioning Genius Sports to transform the market and accelerate the growth and scale of our business.”

Legend founder Nick Kisberg said the combination of the two businesses offered strong strategic alignment.

“Joining forces with Genius Sports brings together two world-class teams and unlocks exceptional growth opportunities for our partners and products,” Kisberg said. “It gives us a stronger platform to scale, and I’m incredibly proud of what we’ve built over the years.”

Financial outlook upgraded

Genius Sports expects the acquisition to have an immediate positive impact on its financial performance. The company said it remains on track to deliver at least 20% compound annual revenue growth through to 2028.

Alongside the announcement, Genius released preliminary results for the 2025 financial year, reporting group revenue of $669 million, up 31% year-on-year. Adjusted EBITDA rose 59% to $136 million.

Following the Legend agreement, Genius has raised its outlook for 2026, forecasting group revenue of approximately $1.1 billion and adjusted EBITDA in the range of $320 million to $330 million.

Looking further ahead, the company now expects group revenue to reach around $1.6 billion by 2028, implying a compound annual growth rate of roughly 21% between 2026 and 2028.

Genius Sports said the combined business will be uniquely positioned to operate across official sports data, media distribution and advertising, strengthening its ability to monetise fan engagement across the global sports and betting ecosystem.