MS NOW & USA Parent Company Versant Expands Its Sports Empire With Major $530 Million Full Swing Acquisition


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Versant is making its biggest move yet after adding another major piece to its growing sports strategy. The company announced Monday that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Full Swing, a sports technology company known for its golf and baseball simulators, launch monitors, virtual greens, integrated software, and performance data tools.

The company is buying Full Swing from Bruin Capital and a group of minority investors for about $530 million in cash, subject to customary purchase price adjustments. The transaction is expected to close in the second half of 2026.

Versant said Full Swing will be folded into its Digital Platforms and Ventures portfolio and anchored in its golf business, which already includes Golf Channel, GolfNow, and GolfPass. Company executives said the deal will expand Versant’s reach in immersive play, training, entertainment, and performance data while opening the door to a broader ecosystem that connects content, commerce, venues, and athlete performance.

“Full Swing is exactly the kind of strategic platform that reflects how we are building Versant: investing in our core markets, extending the reach of our iconic brands and creating new ways to serve passionate audiences,” said Mark Lazarus, Chief Executive Officer of Versant. “Sports are becoming more interactive, more data-driven and more connected, and Full Swing allows us to build on that momentum. Starting from our strength in golf, we see an opportunity to scale a multi-sports technology platform for athletes, coaches, consumers, and fans.”

While Full Swing may not be a traditional media company, the purchase gives Versant a way to move beyond simply broadcasting sports and become part of how fans actually play, train, and experience them. Full Swing has built a name for itself with high-end golf technology used by professional athletes, coaches, entertainment venues, and everyday golfers. The company’s simulator technology is used by some of the biggest names in sports, including Tiger Woods, Jordan Spieth, Jon Rahm, Dustin Johnson, Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, and Steph Curry.

Since spinning off from Comcast and becoming an independent company, Versant has quietly been building a sports powerhouse. Its portfolio includes MS NOW, CNBC, USA Network, Golf Channel, E!, SYFY, Oxygen, Fandango, Rotten Tomatoes, GolfNow, and GolfPass. The company created USA Sports, a banner designed to bring together its live sports programming across platforms. USA Sports includes major rights deals involving WWE, WNBA, NASCAR, Premier League soccer, PGA Tour coverage, and more.

Versant has also continued expanding its college sports lineup after securing a new Pac-12 rights agreement. The deal brings Pac-12 football and basketball games to USA Network beginning with the 2026-27 season, adding another major sports property to an expanding lineup.

Now, with the acquisition of Full Swing, Versant is diversifying its future as viewing habits continue to change. Instead of only showing fans the game, Versant now owns technology that helps them step onto the virtual course and become part of it.

“Joining Versant’s portfolio and resources, under Mark’s vision for the future of sports and fan experiences, is exactly the kind of next chapter we set out for when we acquired Full Swing five years ago,” said George Pyne, Bruin Capital’s Founder & Chief Executive Officer. “Its data and technology are a perfect fit for the interactive, athlete-to-fan ecosystem Versant is building. This is truly a win for everyone, and we’re thrilled for Ryan (CEO of Full Swing) and the team.”

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