This shortlisting is confirmation of a truly landmark year for Mark and Genius Sports, including the company’s successful listing on the New York Stock Exchange.
“Thanks to Locke’s leadership and vision, Genius Sports’ position powering the ecosystem connecting sports, betting, and media is stronger than ever,” states the company. “This has been accelerated in 2021 by major new partnerships with the NFL, DraftKings, FanDuel, MediaPro and many more, alongside a trio of highly complementary acquisitions in Second Spectrum, FanHub and Spirable,” it added.
This is the second time Locke has been celebrated as a pioneer of the global sports industry having previously been named in the Leaders Under 40 class of 2017.
Measuring influence
As the economic recovery continues across the sports business, the definition of influence in the industry is evolving. The growth of sports betting and cryptocurrency is evidence of that. In 2021, the importance of mental health emerged as a major storyline, and calling out abuse of those in power resulted in much change across one league.
"These aspects of the sports industry are reflected in our 2021 list of the Most Influential People in Sports Business. After not including rankings in 2020 — a nod to the tumultuous year — Sports Business Journal returns to the ranking".
Source: GMB
