Versant to buy golf simulator company Full Swing for $530 million
Versant CEO Mark Lazarus at the Semaphore World Economic Summit during the International Monetary Fund and World Bank spring meetings in Washington on April 15, 2026.
Aaron Schwartz | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Versant Media GroupCNBC, which owns cable networks including CNBC, MS Now and Golf Channel, has agreed to acquire the golf simulation company Full Swing from private equity firm Bruin Capital for approximately $530 million in cash.
The deal follows a template CEO Mark Lazarus He has made statements to investors since Versant began trading as a public company in January. comcast.
Versant is investing in non-traditional media businesses that expand the brands it already owns. At the beginning of this year, the company acquired StockStory is an artificial intelligence-powered technology platform that offers financial analysis, market forecasts and stock recommendations. for CNBC.
The company’s golf business already owns digital media platform GolfPass and game time booking company GolfNow.
In May, Versant reported revenue from its platform business, which includes GolfNow, Fandango and some recently launched direct-to-consumer units, rose 9.5% to $192 million. The company announced growth in its news and sports units. Executives said they aim to rebalance Versant’s revenue mix so that 50% of revenue comes from digital, platform, subscription, ad-supported and transactional businesses.
“Full Swing is the kind of strategic platform that reflects exactly how we built Versant:
We want to invest in our core markets, expand the reach of our iconic brands, and create new ways to serve passionate audiences,” Lazarus said in a statement.
Full Swing develops and sells golf and baseball simulators to consumers, sporting goods stores and athletic training facilities. Both recreational and professional athletes use the technology. Bruin Capital acquires Full Swing in 2021 for 160 million dollars Sportico reported at the time.
“Joining Versant gives us the scale and distribution to bring our technology to more golfers, athletes and fans,” Full Swing CEO Ryan Dotters said in a statement. Dotters will remain at Versant and report Will McIntoshpresident of digital platforms and initiatives.
In their statement, the companies stated that the transaction should be completed before December 31.
— CNBC’s Lillian Rizzo contributed to this article.
