Sports data and technology firm Genius Sports Group (GSG) has appointed sports industry pioneer David Levy as its new Chairman, leading the Board’s oversight of the firm’s operations and strategy.
Levy’s career spans a range of leadership positions, including President at Turner Broadcasting Inc and senior advisor roles at Raine Group and Arctos Sports Group respectively.
During his 30-year tenure at Turner, Levy played an instrumental role in defining and expanding the company’s media rights and securing long-term partnerships with the NBA, MLB, NCAA and PGA.
He also assumed executive oversight for increased investment in original premium content across the portfolio. He negotiated a variety of multi-faceted agreements, each representing a significant change extending far beyond traditional television rights.
In 2010, he orchestrated a landmark NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball deal, partnering with CBS for multi-media rights, including exclusive televised rights to the 2014 Final Four and National Championship Game in 2016. This marked the first time in the event’s history that these key games were televised by a cable network.
In 2017, under Levy’s guidance, Turner added to its portfolio of premium sports properties by acquiring rights to UEFA, including UEFA Champions League, Europa League and the UEFA Super Cup. In 2018, Turner programming was nominated for 33 Emmy Awards.
Levy commented: “The capture and analysis of data has become fundamental to the rapid progression of the sports and media sectors. Genius is central to this unique ecosystem and is consistently leading the sports data and technology industry’s development. I am thrilled to join the business at such a historic time and look forward to working as part of the team.”
Mark Locke, CEO of GSG, said: “With his incredible track-record working with many of the biggest names in sports and media, David’s appointment as Chairman is the latest historic milestone in Genius Sports Group’s growth journey.”
“The worlds of sports, media, advertising, betting and streaming are converging rapidly and David’s unique expertise and experience will be invaluable to positioning Genius and our partners at the forefront of this trend,” he added.
