Fantasy Life Secures $7M Seed Round
Fantasy Life, the brainchild of fantasy football icon Matthew Berry, announced a $7 million seed funding round. The company is backed by LeBron James’ LRMR Ventures and a roster of sports and entertainment moguls.
A Star-Studded Investment Boost
Led by LRMR Ventures and SC Holdings, the funding round draws an eclectic mix of investors, including:
- Eberg Capital’s Roger Ehrenberg, co-owner of the Miami Marlins;
- Bolt Ventures’ David Blitzer, with stakes in major North American sports leagues;
- RedBird Capital’s Gerry Cardinale and Jeff Shell;
- YouTube co-founder Chad Hurley;
- NFL stars like Josh Allen and Joe Burrow;
- Entertainment figures like John Legend and Fortnite co-creator Donald Mustard also join, alongside existing backers such as Jaguars owner Tony Khan.
“What Matthew and the team are building hits everything we look for,” said Maverick Carter, CEO of LRMR Ventures, citing Fantasy Life’s 737% revenue growth since 2022 and a 230% surge in the first half of 2025.
The capital injection supports the acquisition of Guillotine Leagues and a mobile-first platform overhaul, positioning Fantasy Life as a premier destination for fantasy players.
The company’s momentum stems from its role as NBC Sports’ official tools partner, delivering premium content to millions via Berry’s platforms, including NBC’s Football Night in America and Peacock’s Fantasy Football Happy Hour.
Guillotine Leagues and Platform Overhaul
Central to Fantasy Life’s strategy is Guillotine Leagues, a survivor-style format where the lowest-scoring team is eliminated weekly, raising the stakes for players. The revamped platform, launched on iOS in July 2025 with Android to follow, offers a sleek, scalable app and web experience.
“This is fantasy for the fearless,” said CEO Eliot Crist, emphasizing the game’s intensity. The acquisition integrates Guillotine Leagues into Fantasy Life’s ecosystem, blending it with premium tools like FantasyHQ™, a personalized hub sponsored by Mike’s Hard Lemonade. FantasyHQ™ syncs users’ leagues across providers, delivering tailored trade, waiver, and start/sit advice, plus a “Mike’s Fantasy Scoreboard” for real-time matchup tracking, creating a seamless second-screen experience on game days.
Berry, a fantasy sports pioneer, sees this as the culmination of his career. “My entire adult life has been about helping fantasy players win and have fun,” he said.
The platform’s upgrades aim to cater to both casual fans and sharp bettors, but integrating complex tools across diverse league formats poses technical challenges.
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