Genius Sports Aims to Grow Using In

At a Goldman Sachs conference, Genius Sports CEO Mark Locke said that the US lags far behind the UK in in-play betting, making the gap a major opportunity for higher margins and deeper customer engagement in the USImage Source: Shutterstock.com

Genius Sports sees live betting as a key path to boost growth in the US. Mark Locke, the CEO, believes this opportunity is much bigger than many investors understand. 

Genius Sports Views U.S. In-Game Betting Shortfall as a Big Growth Opportunity

While talking at the Goldman Sachs Communicopia + Technology Conferencein New York, Lockeexplained how in-play bettingmakes up 60% to 80% of wagers in the UK. In the US, however, this figure lags behind at 30% to 35%. Lockepointed to this difference as a long-term chance to advance the market, offering better profit margins and stronger user involvement than regular pregame betting options.

Locke emphasizedthat live betting data holds greater value than pre-match details. Geniuscharges operators three times as much to provide this data. He pointed out that this pricing advantage leads to a ripple effect. Sportsbooks generate higher revenue from in-game markets, while Geniusgains from the growing need to offer premium data.

BetVision sits at the heart of this approach. It is Genius’s streaming platformthat combines live sports broadcasts with betting tools. Lockeexplained that around one-third of bets are made during games in the US overall. On BetVision, however, that figure jumps to 72% more than twice as much. He said this highlights how merging watching and betting into one platform opens doors to more growth.

A recent partnership with Hard Rock Bethighlights the company’s strategy in action. This agreement allows Hard Rock to connect with over 30,000 live events through BetVision. Users can stream games, bet on them, and interact with ads all from one platform. Lockecalled the offering a “full user experience,” designed to keep fans hooked for the duration of an event. 

Media Deals and Dragon Tech Point to a Bigger Vision for Genius Sports

Outside of betting, Geniusis expanding into media and ads. Its FanHubdivision is working with big names like Coca-Cola and Gatorade. They use live sports data to create targeted campaigns during times when fans are most involved. This area of the business has boosted the company’s financial outlook. It shows Geniuswants to grow beyond just betting content.

Locke highlighted progress in data collection. He mentioned “Dragon,” a setup that links iPhones to automate tracking during live games. By cutting down on the need for many statisticians, Geniusaims to cut costs and give leagues tools like semi-automated offside detection and performance data.

Genius put $82 million of its free cash flow back into the businesslast year and keeps looking into selective acquisitions. The company has secured long-term partnerships, like the extended NFL deal that now lasts until 2030. It thinks this positions it to ngake advantage of the growing move toward live interactive betting experiences.