David Levy, the former president of Turner, has been appointed chairman of data firm Genius Sports.
According to Sportico, he will lead the board’s oversight of company operations and strategy. Genius Sports is the leading provider of sports betting data and marketing. The company works with leagues, media companies and betting operators.
“Being able to attract a chairman with David’s unrivaled reputation is a testament to our position as one of the largest sports data and technology companies in the world,” Mark Locke, CEO of Genius Sports, said in a statement. “I’m thrilled to be working alongside one of sports and media’s true visionaries.”
The U.K.-based company is currently in the process of going public through an acquisition by dMY Technology Acquisition, a SPAC deal that values the company at $1.5 billion. Genius Sports is among the companies being considered for a new wide-ranging data deal with the NFL, people familiar with negotiations told Sportico. The acquisition is expected to close in the coming weeks.
Levy spent about three decades at Turner’s parent company Time Warner, where he played an instrumental role in growing the world of sports betting. This includes the first iteration of “The Match,” a 2018 golf showdown between Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson that featured odds incorporated throughout the broadcast. Additionally, Levy spearheaded the company’s advertisement sales, distribution and sports portfolio of networks, which includes deals with the NBA, PGA, MLB and NCAA.
Levy left Turner in March 2019 and took on roles at Arctos Partners and the Raine Group. He was also CEO of the Brooklyn Nets for two months.
