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Genius brings in ex-ESPN, Walt Disney’s Castellani as financial chief

Nick Taylor, the departing CFO, will stay at Genius during a transition period, meanwhile.

Euan Cunningham October 02 2025

Genius Sports, the international sports data technology company, has appointed Bryan Castellani as its new chief financial officer (CFO).

Effective immediately, Castellani will be based in the company's US office in New York and will report to the firm's co-founder and chief executive, Mark Locke.

He will be in charge of "the company's finance function" overall, overseeing elements such as financial planning and accounting, treasury, tax, investor relations, risk and compliance, and capital allocation.

Nick Taylor, the departing CFO, will stay at Genius during a transition period, meanwhile, "to ensure a smooth and seamless handover."

Castellani's previous role was as CFO and executive vice president at Warner Music Group, a multinational record label conglomerate. He has also held senior positions at heavyweight media organizations such as ESPN and the sports broadcaster's owner, The Walt Disney Company.

He first joined The Walt Disney Company back in 1995, eventually leaving for the Warner Music Group in October 2023.

Castellini spent two years as CFO at ESPN, between 2018 and 2020.

This appointment comes soon after Genius acquired the Sports Innovation Lab, a fan data research firm, in mid-September.

The deal melds together the "most comprehensive official game data with the deepest fan intelligence available," Genius said at the time.

In early August, meanwhile, the company posted its results for the second quarter of 2025, which featured a 24% year-on-year rise in revenue.

One of the most significant deals with a sports property that Genius has in place is with American football's NFL, and that relationship was extended and expanded in June.

Locke has now said: "From powering immersive fan products to delivering personalized advertising campaigns, we’re building the most advanced technology stack in sport, and Bryan will ensure we convert that product leadership into durable growth and cash generation.”

Castellani added: "Building on recent strong performance, Genius Sports’ exclusive rights, market-leading products, and global reach create a unique platform to keep building momentum. I look forward to partnering with Mark and the team to drive efficient scale, sharpen execution, and deliver for customers, partners, and shareholders.” 

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