Underdog Fantasy Acquisition, Valuation, Funding & Investors

Underdog Fantasy was acquired by IG Group for $1.3B in July 2026, a 2.8x multiple on $466M of revenue.

Underdog Fantasy acquisition price

$1.3B

Acquired by IG Group · Jul 2026

Underdog Fantasy revenue at acquisition

$466M

Last twelve months · Jul 2026

Underdog Fantasy revenue multiple at acquisition

2.8x

EV/Revenue · Jul 2026

Underdog Fantasy EBITDA multiple at acquisition

28.3x

EV/EBITDA · Jul 2026

Underdog Fantasy Overview

About Underdog Fantasy

Underdog Fantasy is a daily fantasy sports operator offering Pick'em contests and best ball tournaments for NFL, NBA, MLB, and esports. Users build lineups via mobile app for cash prizes and withdrawals. Authorized for sports betting in 18 states, it features analysis from former athletes and expands through media podcasts. Launched in 2020 from Atlanta headquarters.


Founded

2020

HQ

United StatesNew York City, NY

Status

Acquired

Customer focus

B2C

Revenue model

Commission

Revenue

$466M (Jul 2026)

Valuation

$1.2B (Mar 2025)

Sectors

Underdog Fantasy Acquisition

Underdog Fantasy was acquired by IG Group for $1.3B on 29 July 2026.

The acquisition price implies a 2.8x revenue and 28.3x EBITDA multiple on $466M of revenue.

Before the acquisition Underdog Fantasy had raised $115M across 3 funding rounds.

IG Group agreed to acquire Underdog Sports Holdings, Inc. for total consideration of up to approximately USD 1,300 million, structured as upfront consideration based on an enterprise value of approximately USD 1,100 million plus an earnout of approximately USD 200 million payable to Underdog shareholders. The upfront equity value is expected to be approximately USD 963 million, to be settled with roughly 24.1 million new IG ordinary shares and about USD 380 million in cash, and IG will also repay about USD 160 million of Underdog debt at closing. The earnout is tied to 2026 net gaming revenue targets and conditional on positive 2026 EBITDA.

Underdog Fantasy acquisition details
AcquirerDateTypePriceEV/RevenueEV/EBITDA
29 Jul 2026Strategic M&A$1.3B2.8x28.3x

Underdog Fantasy Valuation

Underdog Fantasy is currently valued at $1.2B, based on its Series C in March 2025.

The $70M round was led by Spark Capital.

Underdog Fantasy's valuation has grown 2.5x from $485M at its Series B in July 2022 to $1.2B in March 2025, across 2 priced rounds.

Underdog Fantasy valuation by funding round

Underdog Fantasy valuation by funding round
DateStageValuation
Mar 2025Series C$1.2B
Jul 2022Series B$485M

Underdog Fantasy Funding History

Underdog Fantasy has raised a total of $115M across 3 funding rounds.

Underdog Fantasy's first fundraising round was a $10M Series A in May 2021. The most recent completed round was a $70M Series C in March 2025.

Underdog Fantasy funding rounds

Underdog Fantasy funding rounds
DateStageInvestorsRaisedValuationDeal Summary
Mar 2025Series CSpark Capital (lead)$70M$1.2BUnderdog Fantasy, a Brooklyn-based sports gaming company founded in 2020, offers fantasy sports games, licensed sports betting, and original sports programming like Gil’s Arena, serving nearly 4 million US customers across 41 states and ranking as the fourth-most downloaded sports gaming app. The company raised $70 million in the first close of its Series C funding round on March 26, 2025, led by Spark Capital, with the round expected to exceed $100 million, bringing total funding to over $140 million from investors including BlackRock, SV Angel, Mark Cuban, and Kevin Durant. This investment, described as the largest single VC bet on sports gaming by a top-tier Silicon Valley firm, values Underdog at $1.225 billion pre-money, nearly tripling its $485 million Series B valuation from 2022 and achieving unicorn status. Spark Capital's participation highlights Underdog's product innovation and talent attraction in the competitive sports gaming sector, where it differentiates through customer-focused experiences combining fantasy, betting, news, and media. CEO Jeremy Levine emphasized the funding as an accelerator for investing in people, product development, and expansion to make sports more fun. General Partner Will Reed praised Underdog's dominance in product and potential in the growing market. Previous rounds included a Series B in 2022 and earlier investments from sports figures like Kevin Durant and Jared Goff. The proceeds will fuel rapid growth in product creation and hiring top talent from gaming, tech, and sports, positioning Underdog against established players in fantasy sports and betting amid evolving regulations.
Jul 2022Series BBlackRock (lead); Acies Investments; Corner Ventures; Electric Feel Ventures$35M$485MUnderdog Fantasy, a New York-based paid fantasy sports company founded in 2020, closed a $35 million Series B funding round on July 26, 2022, led by funds and accounts managed by BlackRock with participation from Acies Investment and existing investors including Mark Cuban, Kevin Durant, Trae Young, Odell Beckham Jr., Breon Corcoran, Eilers & Krejcik, Liontree Partners, Kevin Carter, Mark Pincus, SV Angel, The Chainsmokers, Kygo, Steve Aoki, Nas, and Future. The round valued the company at $485 million post-money. Proceeds were earmarked for building innovative licensed sports betting products, hiring over 100 new employees, and continuing leadership in daily fantasy sports innovation. In just over two years since launch, Underdog had rapidly acquired a significant user base and launched a $10 million season-long NFL Best Ball tournament, the largest such prize pool in history. The company's mobile-first platform emphasizes pick’em contests and draft-style games, achieving best-in-class customer acquisition costs—reportedly a fraction of the $500+ typical for sportsbooks—and superior retention through innovative games and experiences. Acies Investments highlighted Underdog's product-led competitive advantages as it expanded into sports betting. The Series B built on prior raises, including a $10 million Series A in May 2021 led by Kevin Carter and a seed round in October 2020 backed by Mark Cuban. Underdog positioned itself as the fastest-growing paid fantasy sports operator, focusing on exclusive user experiences amid U.S. sports betting legalization. Later developments included a Series C in March 2025 raising $70 million led by Spark Capital at over $1.2 billion valuation, further expanding platform technology and user acquisition.
May 2021Series AKevin Carter (lead); Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment$10M-Underdog Fantasy is a fantasy sports app offering innovative games such as season-long NFL Best Ball tournaments. The company raised $10 million in its Series A round in May 2021, led by angel investor Kevin Carter, an advisor at SV Angel. Additional investors included Mark Cuban, Kevin Durant, Jared Goff, Adam Schefter, and others like Future, Gunna, Nas, and Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment. The funding supported customer acquisition and retention through new games, including a $3.5 million prize NFL Best Ball tournament. Founded by Jeremy Levine, previously of daily fantasy sports startup DRAFT sold for $48 million in 2017, Underdog operates in the competitive fantasy sports industry. In a later Series B round in July 2022, Underdog raised $35 million at a $485 million valuation from BlackRock and Acies Investments to expand into sports betting and hire over 100 employees.

Who has invested in Underdog Fantasy?

7 investors have backed Underdog Fantasy across its funding rounds, including Spark Capital, BlackRock, Corner Ventures, Electric Feel Ventures, Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment and Acies Investments.

Lead investors include Spark Capital, BlackRock and Kevin Carter.


Underdog Fantasy Investors

Investors in Underdog Fantasy by funding rounds participated
InvestorHQRoundsRoleFirst check
Acies InvestmentsUnited StatesLos Angeles, CA1ParticipantJul 2022
Spark CapitalUnited StatesSan Francisco, CA1LeadMar 2025
Harris Blitzer Sports & EntertainmentUnited StatesCamden, NJ1ParticipantMay 2021
BlackRockUnited StatesNew York City, NY1LeadJul 2022
Kevin CarterUnited StatesSan Francisco, CA1LeadMay 2021

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Benchmark 350K+ Funding Rounds and Disclosed VC Valuation Multiples

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Acquisitions by Underdog Fantasy

Underdog Fantasy has acquired 2 companies to date.

Last acquisition by Underdog Fantasy was on March 8th 2026. Underdog Fantasy acquired Aristotle Exchange DCO for undisclosed valuation.


Latest Acquisitions by Underdog Fantasy

Aristotle Exchange DCO
Aristotle Exchange DCM
Description
Aristotle Exchange DCO is a registered Designated Contract Market regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
Aristotle Exchange DCM is a registered Designated Contract Market regulated by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
HQ Country--
HQ City
-
-
Deal Date8 Mar 20268 Mar 2026
Valuationundisclosedundisclosed
EV/Revenue
EV/EBITDA

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Underdog Fantasy Competitors

Underdog Fantasy competitors include listed companies like DeNA and HUYA, and private ones like Mobile Premier League, Skybound Entertainment, iQiyi Sports and 100 Thieves.

Public and private companies comparable to Underdog Fantasy
CompanyHQStatusRevenueEBITDAValuationRevenue Multiple
DeNAJapanJapanPublicly listed$934M$174M$1.5B1.1x
Mobile Premier LeagueIndiaBangalorePrivate$128M-$2.3B18.0x
Skybound EntertainmentUnited StatesLos Angeles, CAPrivate$64M-$651M-
HUYAChinaChinaPublicly listed$976M($27M)$500M0.1x
iQiyi SportsChinaBeijingPrivate--$486M-
100 ThievesUnited StatesUnited StatesPrivate--$460M-

Underdog Fantasy Public Comps

Underdog Fantasy is no longer listed, but its public comps include DeNA, HUYA, Better Collective, MNC Digital Entertainment, Firy, GameSquare, NIP Group, Crisp Momentum and All In FutureTech.

Last FYEV/RevenueEV/EBITDA
RevenueEBITDALast FYLTM2027ELast FYLTM2027E
DeNA$934M$174M1.1x1.1x5.9x6.7x
HUYA$976M($27M)0.1x0.1x(5.3x)10.1x
Better Collective$378M$97M1.8x1.7x6.9x5.5x
MNC Digital Entertainment$212M$72M1.4x-4.3x-
Firy$104M($63M)1.5x1.3x(2.5x)(3.8x)
GameSquare$45M($29M)1.3x0.8x(2.1x)15.6x
NIP Group$127M($237M)0.6x-(0.3x)-

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Common questions about Underdog Fantasy

When was Underdog Fantasy founded?Underdog Fantasy was founded in 2020.
Where is Underdog Fantasy headquartered?Underdog Fantasy is headquartered in New York City, NY, United States.
Is Underdog Fantasy publicly listed?No, Underdog Fantasy was acquired by IG Group in July 2026.
Who acquired Underdog Fantasy?Underdog Fantasy was acquired by IG Group in July 2026.
How much was Underdog Fantasy acquired for?Underdog Fantasy was acquired for $1.3B in July 2026, a 2.8x revenue multiple.
What is Underdog Fantasy's valuation?Underdog Fantasy was last valued at $1.2B in its Series C in March 2025.
How much funding has Underdog Fantasy raised?Underdog Fantasy has raised $115M across 3 funding rounds.
What was Underdog Fantasy's last funding round?Underdog Fantasy's last funding round was a $70M Series C in March 2025, led by Spark Capital.
Who are Underdog Fantasy's investors?Underdog Fantasy's investors include Acies Investments, Spark Capital, Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, BlackRock, Kevin Carter, Corner Ventures and Electric Feel Ventures.
Which companies are comparable to Underdog Fantasy?Companies comparable to Underdog Fantasy include DeNA, Mobile Premier League, Skybound Entertainment, HUYA, iQiyi Sports and 100 Thieves.
How many companies has Underdog Fantasy acquired?Underdog Fantasy has acquired 2 companies, including Aristotle Exchange DCO and Aristotle Exchange DCM.

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