Genius Sports appoints Bryan Castellani as chief financial officer
- Former Disney, ESPN and Warner Music Group executive Bryan Castellani takes over as CFO with immediate effect
- Castellani succeeds Nick Taylor and will oversee global finance operations from the company’s New York office
- The appointment supports Genius Sports’ strategy to drive profitable growth across its technology and rights portfolio
Genius Sports has appointed Bryan Castellani as chief financial officer, effective 1 October 2025, bringing over two decades of media and entertainment experience to the sports technology company.
Based in New York and reporting to co-founder and CEO Mark Locke, Castellani will oversee all aspects of the company’s global finance function, including financial planning, accounting, treasury, tax, investor relations, risk management and capital allocation. He succeeds Nick Taylor, who joined Genius Sports in 2019 and will remain with the company during a transition period.
Strategic appointment timing
The appointment comes as Genius Sports continues its expansion in the US market and builds its technology stack for the sports betting and media ecosystem. Castellani will also support strategic growth initiatives, including mergers, acquisitions and partnerships.
“This appointment comes at a pivotal moment for our business,” said Mark Locke, Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Genius Sports.
“Bryan combines deep financial discipline with an understanding of scaling media platforms which is exactly what we need as we take Genius Sports into its next growth phase.
”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.”
Extensive media background
Castellani brings extensive experience from senior roles at major media companies. Most recently, he served as executive vice president and CFO of Warner Music Group, where he led the company’s global finance organisation and delivered 6 per cent year-over-year revenue growth in 2024.
Prior to Warner Music, Castellani spent nearly three decades at The Walt Disney Company. From 2020 to 2023, he was EVP of finance at Disney Media & Entertainment Distribution and then EVP and CFO of Disney Entertainment & ESPN. Between 2018 and 2020, he served as EVP and CFO of ESPN, directing financial strategy during the sports network’s digital transformation.
“I’m excited to join Genius Sports as it continues to redefine how data and technology power sports,” said Bryan Castellani.
“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.”
His earlier Disney roles included SVP of corporate FP&A, SVP of operations and business planning at ABC News, and CFO of The Walt Disney Company Japan, where he was based in Tokyo from 2007 to 2013.
Future growth focus
Genius Sports’ technology powers premium sports experiences including BetVision, the world’s first immersive live betting product, FANHub fan activation platform, and GeniusIQ AI-driven data platform. The company operates in over 150 countries and works with organisations including the NFL, English Premier League and NCAA.
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