Genius Sports Group, a sports data technology company, has appointed Rob Pietroforte, Raine Group VP, as its new director of M&A ahead of its IPO.
Rob Pietroforte Is Genius Sports Group’s New Director of M&A
Raine Group VP Rob Pietroforte becomes the new director of M&A of sports data technology giant Genius Sports Group, ahead of its IPO.
At his new position, Pietroforte will oversee Genius Sports’ M&A strategy and follow its listing through a SPAC merger with dMY Technology Group II. The company said that it expects to have $150 million to fund its M&A goal to expand in the US and internationally.
Pietroforte has been a VP of merchant bank Raine Group since July 2016. During that period, he supervised many deals like the sale of DC United, a Major League Soccer franchise (MLS), and Accel Entertainment and TPG Pace. He also led the bank’s investment into Premier Lacrosse League as a broker of the official data deal between the organization and Genius Sports.
Genius Sports CEO Mark Locke said that the company has a top record of acquiring a business with potential that has complemented Genius Sports in its offering. He stated that Pietroforte’s sports, betting, and media experience in M&A makes him a perfect fit for the position. Locke said that he looks forward to working with Pietroforte on further expansion and integration of other companies, which would result in an acceleration of the company’s growth.
Veteran in the Industry Is Genius Sports’ Group’s New Chairman
Genius Sports Group recently appointed David Levy as its new chairman. He joined the company after holding multiple leading positions at Turner Broadcasting over the past 30 years. He is considered a veteran in the sports betting industry. Levy was also a senior adviser at Raine Group and Arctos Sports Group. In his new position, he is going to lead the company’s board for operations and strategy.
Genius Sports Group Became MLR’s Exclusive Partner
Weeks ago, Genius Sports Group was named an exclusive partner to Major League Rugby (MLR). Under the deal, GSG received exclusive sports betting data and betting streaming rights. The company received the exclusive right to manage, capture, and distribute official MLR data to sportsbook operators in North America and worldwide.