CBF to Revolutionize Officiating With Genius Sports’ Semi-Automated Offside Technology in 2026

NEW YORK & LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Confederação Brasileira de Futebol (“CBF”), one of the most prestigious organizations in the world’s game, has selected Genius Sports Limited (“Genius Sports”) (NYSE:GENI) to implement its world-leading semi-automated offside technology (“SAOT”) in 2026.

Genius Sports’ SAOT solution is the leader in world football – used across the Premier League, CONMEBOL’s Copa Sudamericana and Copa Libertadores, as well as the Belgian Pro League. CBF will now empower its officials and fans with this technology across the Brasileiro Série A and Copa do Brasil, enhancing the speed, efficiency and accuracy of offside decisions.

Powered by GeniusIQ, Genius Sports’ SAOT will ingest rich mesh tracking data from its computer vision cameras that will be installed in all top flight Brazilian football stadiums. The ground-breaking technology then automates the kick point for every offside decision and will immediately alert CBF’s VAR operators before producing a clear 3D render showing an exact offside plane.

Genius Sports’ SAOT has been proven across hundreds of games in some of the biggest competitions in world football, removing the need for manually drawn offside lines while automatically producing broadcast-ready decision visuals within seconds.

“We are taking another decisive step in the modernization process of Brazilian football,” said Samir Xaud, President of CBF. “The arrival of semi-automatic offside is not just a technological innovation, but a concrete measure to increase the accuracy, transparency, and credibility of refereeing decisions. It is a move aligned with the most advanced practices in the football world, and CBF will continue working to ensure that our competitions are a benchmark in quality and fairness.”

"To implement our SAOT system with CBF, the most successful federation in FIFA World Cup history, is an incredible validation of Genius Sports’ world-class technology,” said Mark Locke, CEO of Genius Sports. “Brazil is a critical market across our entire business, and we’re excited to work alongside CBF to deliver technology that minimizes delays, restores the natural rhythm of the game, and empowers officials to make accurate and efficient offside decisions.”

About Genius Sports

Genius Sports is the official data, technology, and broadcast partner that powers the global sports, betting, and media ecosystem. Our technology is used in over 150 countries worldwide, creating highly immersive products that enrich fan experiences across the entire sports industry.

We are the trusted partner to over 700 sports organizations, including many of the world’s largest leagues, teams, sportsbooks, brands and broadcasters, such as the NFL, English Premier League, NCAA, DraftKings, FanDuel, bet365, Coca-Cola, EA Sports, CBS, NBC and ESPN.

Genius Sports is uniquely positioned through AI, computer vision, and big data to power the future of sports fan experiences. From delivering augmented broadcasts and enhanced highlights to automated officiating tools, immersive betting solutions, and personalized marketing activations, we connect the entire sports value chain from the rights holder all the way through to the fan.