Genius Sports Shares Are Up Today: What's Going On?

Genius Sports Inc. shares (NYSE:GENI) are moving higher Thursday after Texas Capital Securities initiated coverage with a Buy rating and issued a $14 price target.

What To Know: This bullish coverage comes alongside a major announcement that the company has expanded and extended its strategic partnership with the National Football League through the end of the 2029 season.

The extended deal ensures Genius Sports remains the NFL's exclusive distributor of official real-time play-by-play stats, Next Gen Stats and the official betting data feed for media companies and sportsbooks worldwide.

The partnership also continues Genius Sports' role as the exclusive provider of the NFL's "watch and bet" low-latency live games to international sportsbooks. Additionally, Genius will now exclusively handle in-game advertising inventory for the league, including digital ads on the NFL’s own platforms through its FANHub advertising tech.

The expanded deal also reinforces Genius Sports' position as a core tech partner within the NFL ecosystem. The companies previously rolled out BetVision, a streaming product combining betting and live game footage, and the Madden NFL Cast, a branded livestream. GeniusIQ, the company's AI-powered sports data platform, will continue driving fan engagement, advertising solutions and broadcast enhancements.

NFL executive Brent Lawton emphasized Genius Sports' value across data, video and integrity services. Genius Sports CEO Mark Locke noted the renewal deepens their role in transforming fan experiences and accelerates the rollout of FANHub.

GENI Price Action: Genius sports shares closed up 8.39% at $10.47 at publication on Thursday, according to Benzinga Pro.

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