Fantasy Life lands $7m in seed funding round led by LeBron James’ VC
DFS media site secures capital boost as it looks to launch new FantasyHQ platform, alongside supporting recent purchase of Guillotine Leagues
Daily fantasy sports (DFS) media platform Fantasy Life has received an injection of $7m in additional capital via a seed funding round.
The round, which was led by Lebron James’ and Maverick Carter’s LRMR Ventures, marks the second fundraising in Fantasy Life’s history, the first coming in 2023 and generating $2m.
Jason Stein’s SC Holdings also spearheaded the raise, which included contributions from Grammy award-winning musician John Legend, Jacksonville Jaguars owner Tony Khan, and YouTube co-founder Chad Hurley.
Eberg Capital, Bolt Ventures, Wasserman Ventures, and RedBird Capital founder Gerry Cardinale also all took part.
According to the release confirming the seed round, Fantasy Life has seen revenue rise by 737% since 2022, while it has recorded a 230% jump from 2024 to the opening half of 2025.
This latest capital boost is expected to go towards the launch of the company’s new Fantasy Life platform, which will include FantasyHQ.
FantasyHQ is new platform that will grant users access to real-time player data and insights, while the new site will allow users to sync their fantasy leagues and teams across multiple DFS operators.
Additionally, Fantasy Life will also use the new funds to support the recent acquisition of Guillotine Leagues, a week-to-week survival fantasy football game.
Fantasy Life was established by longtime ESPN analyst Matthew Berry in 2022.
Berry said: “Fantasy Life is the culmination of my decades of experience — a destination for every kind of player, from beginner to sharp.
“With smart, personalized tools, entertaining content, and the best damn fantasy game ever in Guillotine Leagues, we’re building a platform as obsessed with fantasy as we are.
“I’m incredibly honored that so many people I’ve long admired believe in what we’re doing and want to be part of the journey. I can’t wait for everyone to check out the new features and win more titles.”
From an investor perspective, LRMR Venture CEO Carter detailed his reasons behind his firm issuing financial support, hailing Fantasy Life as a “gamechanger.”
He said: “Their strong brand, incredible growth and the market size of sports gaming make for a compelling opportunity.
“As an avid fantasy football and Guillotine League player myself, this is a tech-forward play that we believe will be a gamechanger for fantasy sports and we’re proud to co-lead this round with our partners at SC Holdings.”
Fantasy Life has already received funding from prominent sporting figures, including NFL quarterbacks Josh Allen and Joe Burrow.
The funding boost comes at a time when the DFS sector is under increasing scrutiny, most notably in California, where attorney general Rob Bonta recently delivered his opinion that all DFS games should be illegal in the state.