New York-listed sports data and technology provider Genius Sports has appointed Steve Bornstein to the newly created executive role of president of North America.
Bornstein has held a range of prominent positions across the sports, media and advisory sectors, including extensive broadcast experience at ESPN and ABC, where in 1990 he became ESPN’s youngest president and CEO at age 38.
He also served as president, CEO and founder of the NFL Network and executive vice president of media, overseeing the league’s media division and negotiations on TV deals and sponsorships, and was formerly chairman of Activision Blizzard’s eSports division.
In his new role at Genius Sports, Bornstein will lead the company’s US and Canadian activities, building on the existing team’s capabilities and relationships.
“Steve is an accomplished, forward-thinking executive who brings more than 30 years of sports media experience,” said Genius Sports CEO Mark Locke. “As we continue to execute on our growth strategy North America, we look forward to benefitting from a visionary like Steve who played a major role in shaping the growth and success of iconic brands like ESPN and the NFL.
“As a leader, he exemplifies the values set out at Genius and will help us progress our culture of collaboration and innovation.”
As head of the supplier’s North American operations, Bornstein will optimize Genius Sports’ regional business infrastructure to position the company for accelerated growth in existing and new areas, including streaming. This will include sourcing and unlocking value with new and existing sports partners such as the NFL, NCAA, NASCAR, NBA, and MLB.
Additionally, he will work closely with the executive team to identify revenue accretive acquisition targets and will support the integration of recently acquired businesses, including Second Spectrum, which is the official data tracking and analytics provider of the EPL, NBA, and MLS.
“I am excited to join Genius Sports at this time in the company’s growth,” said Bornstein. “And I’m delighted to partner with Mark and his outstanding team as Genius demonstrates and deepens its commitment to drive real value for its partners in the US and Canada. I can’t wait to get started.”
Shares in Genius Sports Ltd (NYSE:GENI) closed 5.18 per cent higher at $17.25 per share in New York Wednesday.