MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
For purposes of this section, “we,” “our,” “us”, “Genius” and the “company” refer to Genius Sports Limited and all of its subsidiaries prior to the consummation of the Business Combination (as defined below).
The discussion should be read together with the unaudited interim condensed consolidated financial statements for the three month periods ended March 31, 2022 and 2021 included in this interim report. This management’s discussion and analysis should also be read together with our audited consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2021 in our Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the SEC on March 18, 2022.
Overview
Genius is a B2B provider of scalable, technology-led products and services to the sports, sports wagering and sports media industries. Genius is a fast-growing business with significant scale, distribution and an expanding addressable market and opportunity ahead.
Genius’ mission is to be the official data, technology and commercial partner that powers the global ecosystem connecting sports, betting and media. In doing so, Genius creates engaging and immersive fan experiences while simultaneously providing sports leagues with essential technology and vital, sustainable revenue streams.
Genius uniquely sits at the heart of the global sports betting ecosystem where Genius has deep, critical relationships with over 400 sports leagues and federations, over 500 sportsbook brands and over 150 marketing customers (which includes some of the aforementioned sportsbook brands).
Genius’ Offerings
Sports Technology and Services. Genius builds and supplies technology and services that allow sports leagues to collect, analyze and monetize their data with added tools to deepen fan engagement. These tools include creation of fan-facing websites, rich statistical content such as team and player standings, immersive social media content, and, Genius’ latest creation, its streaming product, a tool that allows sports leagues to automatically produce, distribute and commercialize live, audio-visual game content. Genius also provides sports leagues with bespoke monitoring technology and education services to help protect their competitions and athletes from the threats of match fixing and betting-related corruption. Following the acquisition of Second Spectrum, Inc (“Second Spectrum”), Genius is now a leading provider of cutting-edge data tracking and visualization solutions that partners with elite football and basketball clubs, leagues, federations, and media organizations around the world.
Genius’ technology has become essential to their partners’ operations and it would be inefficient or unaffordable for most sports leagues to build similar technology themselves. In return for the provision of their essential technology, the sports leagues typically grant to Genius the official sports data and streaming rights to collect, distribute and monetize the official data or streaming content.
Betting Technology, Content and Services. Genius builds and supplies data-driven technology that powers sportsbooks globally. Genius’ offerings include official data, outsourced bookmaking, trading/risk management services and live audio-visual game content that is derived from its streaming partnerships with sports leagues.
Media Technology, Content and Services. Genius builds and supplies technology, services and data that enables sportsbooks, sports organizations, and other brands to target, acquire and retain sports fans as their customers in a highly effective and cost-efficient manner. Key services include the creation, delivery and measurement of personalized online marketing campaigns, all delivered using Genius’ proprietary technology and proven to help advertisers reduce spend and wastage. Genius’ sports media solutions provide incremental revenue opportunities for stakeholders across the entire sports ecosystem.
Events under Official Sports Data and Streaming Rights
Genius establishes long-term, mutually beneficial relationships with sports leagues, federations and teams that enable its partners to collect, organize and communicate data internally (e.g., for coaching analysis) or externally (e.g., for posting on fan-facing websites) and grant to Genius the rights to collect, distribute and monetize official sport data. Genius seeks to maintain an optimal portfolio of data rights, from high profile, widely followed sports events, such as the English Premier League (“EPL”), National Football League (“NFL”), National Basketball Association (“NBA”) and other Tier 1 sports, to more specialized and less widely followed events, such as non-European soccer, non-US basketball, professional volleyball and other Tier 2 to 4 sports. This provides Genius with global breadth and depth of coverage across all tiers of sport, all time zones, and all geographical locations.
Data rights for Tier 1 sports, which include the most popular sports leagues, are typically acquired via formal tender processes and competitive bidding often resulting in high acquisition costs. For example, Genius’ U.K. soccer data rights contract, which runs through the end of the 2023-2024 season and NFL data rights contract, which runs through the end of the 2026-2027 season, accounts for a significant majority of Genius’ third-party data rights fees. Genius believes that its inventory of selectively acquired Tier 1 data rights is important to establishing relationships with sportsbooks on beneficial terms.
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