Matthew Berry Raises $2M in Seed Round for Fantasy Media Company
As fantasy football season heats up, former ESPN fantasy analyst Matthew Berry has raised $2 million in seed round fundraising to grow a media company called Fantasy Life focused on fantasy sports and sports betting.
New Fantasy Life investors include Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen, Cincinnati Bengals QB Joe Burrow, Jacksonville Jaguars owner Tony Khan and LRMR Ventures, the family office of LeBron James and Maverick Carter. Also joining the cap table are FoxBet CEO Kip Levin, Bruin Capital CEO George Pyne, Wasserman Media Group CEO Casey Wasserman and EGOT-winning artist John Legend.
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Beginning as a daily newsletter, Fantasy Life now encompasses a website full of fantasy manager tools. The company has signed media deals with SiriusXM and Meta, and has inked sponsorship agreements with Cisco, Buffalo Wild Wings, BetMGM and Underdog Fantasy.
“We are providing the world’s biggest brands access to some of the most loyal and highly engaged audiences,” Fantasy Life CEO Eliot Crist said in a statement. “With sponsorships, brand integrations, and custom tools, Fantasy Life is focused on developing strategic, long-term partnerships through its content for all users. We are proud of the work we have accomplished and look forward to other A-List brands joining the Fantasy Life family.”
After 15 years at ESPN, Berry left last summer to join NBC Sports, where he hosts a daily fantasy show and a two-hour weekly pregame show on Sundays. He also appears on Football Night in America ahead of Sunday Night Football and has continued publishing rankings and columns for NBC. Berry made the move in part because of his desire to build Fantasy Life.
“I have loved every second of the last year with the Fantasy Life team, bootstrapping our way to profitability and can’t wait to continue to build on that success,” Berry said in a statement.
Fantasy Life’s 15-person advisory board includes former ESPN execs John Kosner and Geoff Reiss, Hiltzik Strategies CEO Matthew Hiltzik and Bleacher Report co-founder Dave Nemetz.
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