Sports Innovation Lab
Sports Innovation Lab is a Boston-based fan intelligence company that builds the deterministic Fluid Fan Graph™ to power audience targeting, data enrichment, and research reports for brands, agencies, sports properties, and sportsbooks. Now a Genius Sports subsidiary, it sells audiences through direct enterprise sales and major ad-tech channels including LiveRamp, The Trade Desk, Amazon Ads, and Experian.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersBoston, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Sports Innovation Lab does
Sports Innovation Lab (SIL) is a Boston-based fan intelligence company founded in 2017 by Angela Ruggiero and Josh Walker, operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Genius Sports Limited (NYSE:GENI) following its September 2025 acquisition. The company builds the proprietary Fluid Fan Graph™ — a deterministic fan database that models sports and entertainment fans using observational, transactional, and viewership signals across billions of annual transactions. SIL commercializes this asset through three product modules delivered on its Sports Data Cloud: Audiences (deterministic segments for fan targeting), Insights (curated research reports and measurement), and Enrichment (DaaS solutions that enhance customer first-party CRM data with fan behaviors and propensity signals).
SIL's technology runs on Snowflake cloud infrastructure with Cortex AI, processing 500+ million records at 200 million rows per minute inference speed. Distribution is multi-channel: direct enterprise sales to brands, agencies, and sports properties; programmatic activation through LiveRamp, The Trade Desk, Amazon Ads, Experian Marketplace, and Audigent SmartPMPs; and, post-acquisition, integration into Genius Sports' FANHub platform alongside official league data. Named customers include NASCAR, DraftKings, FanDuel, Dentsu, Kellanova, Monumental Sports & Entertainment, Legends, and the North Carolina Courage, with reported outcomes of 30% CTR lift, up to 40% media-waste reduction, 74% unit-sales increase, and 10%+ account-creation lift.
The company also runs the Women's Sports Club (an executive initiative backed by Ally Financial and partners including Nike, Coca-Cola, Gatorade, WNBA, LPGA, and NWSL) and The Fan Project research series. In April 2025, SIL launched the AI Advantage Program with Microsoft to train sports executives in AI applications. Revenue is not publicly disclosed; the business was capitalized with approximately US$5.8 million in total disclosed funding prior to the Genius Sports acquisition.
Sports Innovation Lab firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Sports Innovation Lab
- Legal name
- Sports Innovation Lab, Inc.
- Website
- https://sportsilab.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Acquired
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Sports Innovation Lab is a Boston-based fan intelligence company that builds the deterministic Fluid Fan Graph™ to power audience targeting, data enrichment, and research reports for brands, agencies, sports properties, and sportsbooks. Now a Genius Sports subsidiary, it sells audiences through direct enterprise sales and major ad-tech channels including LiveRamp, The Trade Desk, Amazon Ads, and Experian.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Sports Innovation Lab industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Sports Fan Analytics
- NAICS
- Sports Teams and Clubs (711211), Spectator Sports (71121), Other Spectator Sports (711219)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Sports Data, Analytics & CRM Services (Fan Data, Insights, Audience Development) (MPAKAKAO)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Sports Data-Driven/Interactive Streams (Stats Overlays, Alternate Feeds) (MPAKAOAH)
Keywords
Where Sports Innovation Lab is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Boston
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Sports Innovation Lab business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Operations
Revenue model
- Data Licensing: Licensing of insights and data marketing services to brands, agencies, and sports properties. Customers license audience segments and fan intelligence data for their internal marketing use.
- Data Sales: Sale of aggregated and anonymized datasets containing transaction and fan behavior data.
- Reports and Research: Sale of industry research reports including sponsorship reports, media planning guides, and market analysis reports.
- Fan Activation Platform: FanHub platform enabling precision targeting for brands and agencies, with audiences available through channel partners including LiveRamp, The Trade Desk, and Amazon Ads.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Enterprise Licensing |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels8 records
Sports Innovation Lab product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Sports Innovation Lab operates a fan intelligence and analytics platform built around its proprietary Fluid Fan Graph, a deterministic fan database tracking billions of annual transactions across purchases, attendance, and viewership. Its Sports Data Cloud delivers three integrated offerings: deterministic audience segments for fan targeting, curated research and measurement insights, and first-party data enrichment via Data-as-a-Service for brands, agencies, sports leagues, and teams.
Product overview
Sports Innovation Lab operates as a fan intelligence and analytics platform built around its proprietary Fluid Fan Graph — a deterministic fan database tracking billions of annual transactions across purchases, attendance, and viewership in sports and entertainment. The core platform, the Sports Data Cloud, powers three integrated modules: Audiences (deterministic audience segments for fan targeting), Insights (curated research reports and measurement), and Enrichment (first-party data enhancement via DaaS). Post-acquisition by Genius Sports in September 2025, SIL audiences are distributed through Genius Sports' FANHub platform and syndicated via channel partners including LiveRamp, The Trade Desk, Amazon Ads, Experian Marketplace, and Audigent SmartPMPs. SIL also operates specialized initiatives including the Women's Sports Club (executive club) and The Fan Project (women's sports research), and offers an AI Advantage Program in partnership with Microsoft for AI education.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Fluid Fan Graph: Sports Innovation Lab's proprietary fan intelligence model built on observational, transactional, and deterministic fan data.
- AI Advantage Program
- The Fan Project
- Women's Sports Club
Products and services
- Fluid Fan Graph Proprietary deterministic fan intelligence model that tracks billions of annual sports and entertainment fan transactions across purchases, attendance, and viewership, providing a high-fidelity graph for fan modeling and targeting.
- Sports Data Cloud High-fidelity data cloud platform built on the Fluid Fan Graph that delivers fan intelligence, targeting, first-party enrichment, and personalization at scale for brands, agencies, and sports properties.
- Audiences Deterministic audience segments built from real purchase behaviors enabling improved targeting, reach of sports and culture communities, and fan acquisition for brands and agencies.
Quantifiable outcome
- 30% lift in CTR compared to remarketing and traditional interest-based audiences
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Sports Innovation Lab
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Sports Innovation Lab technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration7 records
AI capability5 records
Feature4 records
Sports Innovation Lab partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.
- MagnitecoreIntegration of Moment Engine data-driven ad insertion tool into Magnite's ClearLine platform for sell-side advertising automation.
- NBC SportscorePartnership with NBC Sports Regional Networks to deploy augmented reality advertising for Celtics, 76ers, Warriors, and Kings broadcasts using Moment Engine technology.
- Genius SportsflagshipAcquisition by Genius Sports combining official game data with Sports Innovation Lab's deterministic fan graph to create most comprehensive fan database in sports and entertainment, tracking billions of annual transactions.
- ExperiancoreSports Innovation Lab's proprietary sports audiences available through Experian's data marketplace (Audience Engine platform), enabling addressable audience activation and data linear planning for CTV, digital-driven linear, and addressable media channels.
- AudigentcoreSports Innovation Lab segments live within Audigent's industry-leading curated private marketplaces (SmartPMPs), providing turnkey route for buyers to activate sports fan audiences pre-packaged with premium inventory and real-time optimization.
- Diamond KineticsminorFan targeting partnership using deterministic Youth Sports Baseball and Volleyball audiences to drive user acquisition in SidelineHD app and e-commerce sales.
- ZoomphcorePartnership to build the future of fan intelligence with AI, combining Sports Innovation Lab's behavioral fan data with Zoomph's social audience analysis for hyper-personalized fan experiences, authentic sponsorship alignment, and cross-channel campaign measurement.
- MicrosoftcorePartnership with Microsoft for the AI Advantage Program, a nine-month certification program teaching sports executives how to leverage AI for business results, with sessions held at Microsoft Garage in NYC.
- PubMaticminorWomen's Sports Club partnership leveraging programmatic advertising for women's sports, enabling brands to reach engaged audiences during live games and highlight content.
- KellanovaminorPartnership to utilize Sports Data Cloud for enriching CRM database, creating holistic view of college sports fans beyond viewership habits into purchase behaviors and spending preferences.
- DentsucoreStrategic partnership bringing Sports Innovation Lab audience segments across seven major sports leagues (NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, WNBA, MLS, NWSL) linked with Dentsu's Merkury global data, identity, and insights platform for precision targeting.
- SnowflakecoreTechnology partnership leveraging Snowflake's cloud infrastructure including Cortex AI to process over 500 million records at inference speeds of 200 million rows per minute for fan intelligence.
- Hanwha LIFEPLUS International CrownminorPartnership incrementally increasing LPGA tournament ticket revenue using Sports Innovation Lab fan intelligence and audience targeting.
- PrizePicksminorPrizePicks became official member of Sports Innovation Lab's Women's Sports Club, powered by Ally, leading to first-of-its-kind sponsorship with NWSL's North Carolina Courage.
- LPGAminorPartnership with LPGA to grow the footprint of women's golf through data-driven fan insights and audience targeting.
- Ally FinancialcoreLaunch of Women's Sports Club in partnership with Ally Financial to directly address media disparity and accelerate media investment into women's sports.
Scale indicators12 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Sports Innovation Lab competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Sportradar: Sportradar is a global sports data and content company providing live data, odds, and fan engagement solutions to leagues, media companies, and sportsbooks. It is directly comparable to SIL given its sports data licensing, fan analytics, and content distribution model, though SIL focuses more on fan intelligence than betting data.
- Stats Perform: Stats Perform provides sports data, AI-powered insights, and betting technology to leagues, media, and sportsbooks. It is a direct peer as both companies sell proprietary sports data and analytics to enterprise customers across media, betting, and team performance use cases.
- Relo Metrics: Relo Metrics (formerly GumGum Sports) provides AI-driven sponsorship and media analytics for sports properties and brands. It is a direct peer because both companies monetize sports audience and sponsorship intelligence for brand and team customers with measurable ROI outcomes.
- Blinkfire Analytics: Blinkfire Analytics offers AI-driven sports sponsorship and social media valuation analytics for brands, teams, and agencies. It is a direct peer in sports audience and sponsorship measurement serving similar buyer personas to SIL's brands/agencies segment.
- Hookit: Hookit provides sponsorship analytics and marketing intelligence for sports and entertainment sponsorships. It is a direct peer because both companies target brands and rights holders with sponsorship measurement, fan engagement analytics, and audience insights.
- SponsorUnited: SponsorUnited is a sponsorship intelligence platform providing data, analytics, and insights on sports and entertainment sponsorship deals. It is comparable to SIL because both sell data-driven sponsorship and fan intelligence to brands, agencies, and sports properties.
- Zoomph: Zoomph is an AI-powered social audience intelligence platform for sports organizations, brands, and agencies. It is a direct peer (and existing SIL partner) because both companies sell sports audience analytics, sponsorship measurement, and fan engagement insights to enterprise customers.
Broad incumbents
- Nielsen Sports: Nielsen Sports is the sponsorship and audience measurement arm of Nielsen, offering media valuation, fan insights, and sponsorship analytics globally. It is a broad incumbent with overlapping capabilities in sports fan and audience measurement, though as part of a much larger portfolio of media measurement services.
- Kantar: Kantar is a global market research and consumer insights company with sports sponsorship analytics and audience measurement capabilities. It is a broad incumbent serving brand and agency buyers with overlapping sports intelligence and audience analytics offerings.
- Genius Sports: Genius Sports is a global sports data, technology, and media company, now the parent of SIL following the September 2025 acquisition. It is a broad incumbent offering official league data, sportsbook technology, and fan activation at a much larger scale across sports media and betting.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Sports Innovation Lab social profiles
Digital presenceSports Innovation Lab financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Sports Innovation Lab leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
Sports Innovation Lab funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors4 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Sports Innovation Lab M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Sports Innovation Lab
What does Sports Innovation Lab do?
Sports Innovation Lab operates a fan intelligence and analytics platform built around its proprietary Fluid Fan Graph, a deterministic fan database tracking billions of annual transactions across purchases, attendance, and viewership. Its Sports Data Cloud delivers three integrated offerings: deterministic audience segments for fan targeting, curated research and measurement insights, and first-party data enrichment via Data-as-a-Service for brands, agencies, sports leagues, and teams.
Is Sports Innovation Lab a public or private company?
Sports Innovation Lab is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently acquired.
When was Sports Innovation Lab founded?
Sports Innovation Lab was founded in 2017. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Sports Innovation Lab based?
Sports Innovation Lab is headquartered in Boston, United States, in the North America region.
How does Sports Innovation Lab make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Data Licensing is the primary driver. The others are data Sales, reports and Research and fan Activation Platform.
Who are Sports Innovation Lab's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Sportradar, Stats Perform, Relo Metrics, Blinkfire Analytics, Hookit, SponsorUnited and Zoomph. Broad incumbents are Nielsen Sports, Kantar and Genius Sports.
Does Sports Innovation Lab have an API?
No public API is recorded for Sports Innovation Lab.
What industry is Sports Innovation Lab in?
Sports Innovation Lab's product category is Sports Fan Analytics. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAKAKAO, Sports Data, Analytics & CRM Services (Fan Data, Insights, Audience Development), with a secondary code of MPAKAOAH, Sports Data-Driven/Interactive Streams (Stats Overlays, Alternate Feeds). Its NAICS code is 711211 and its SIC code is 7900.