Genius Sports CEO: prediction markets as big as sportsbooks; DraftKings exchange launch weeks away
Genius Sports executives used their Q1 2026 earnings call to spotlight prediction markets and the completed Legend acquisition as strategic drivers beyond the company's core sports-data business. CEO Mark Locke said prediction markets could become as commercially valuable as major U.S. sportsbooks for Genius Sports. Meanwhile, DraftKings said in its own Q1 earnings call that it expects to launch its proprietary exchange in the coming weeks. The earnings season also saw Kalshi officially announce a $1 billion funding round at a $22 billion valuation, and an NPR report detailed campaign staffers betting on prediction markets. Genius Sports did not detail specific financial contributions from the prediction-markets segment.
Genius Sports has publicly tied its growth story to prediction markets before proving the segment's revenue, giving DraftKings a first-mover advantage when its proprietary exchange launches within weeks with full trading infrastructure already built.