London-based Baller League, a six-a-side football league, has raised $25M (nearly €23.87M) in a Series A funding round led by EQT Ventures. This follows an $8M (nearly €7.63M) round in mid-2024.
EQT Ventures is an early-stage lead investor based in Luxembourg, with advisors across Amsterdam, Stockholm, London, New York, Berlin, and Paris. Investing from its third fund of €1.1B, the largest early-stage fund raised in Europe, EQT Ventures partners with ambitious founders and startups.
The firm offers capital and hands-on support, leveraging its team of experienced company builders to help entrepreneurs scale and turn their visions into global successes.
Blending traditional football with the street football culture
Baller League, founded in 2023, is an indoor football league that aims to redefine the traditional football experience by focusing on fast-paced gameplay and fan engagement.
Its unique format, which features footballers and influencers, is designed to appeal to a modern audience, particularly those who enjoy the short-form content on platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Twitch.
The league’s players are mainly former academy players, free agents, and retired pros, ensuring high-quality competition.
The gameplay, which is inspired by small-sided football, is familiar to global audiences who grew up playing fast-paced, informal football on playgrounds and streets.
Baller League has gained a large following, with nearly 1 million combined followers on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitch. It is the #1 Twitch channel in Germany and among the top 5 globally, and its dedicated fan base travels across the country to attend live matches.
Capital utilisation
Baller League plans to use the funding for global expansion.
Felix Starck, CEO of Baller League, says, “Small-sided football is the biggest sport in the world. Most football players around the world have never even played traditional 11-a-side football. At Baller League, we want to reconnect to that base and give these players and fans the stage they deserve.”
“Building a company is a marathon, not a sprint, and EQT Ventures completely understands this, offering the perfect counterpart to our team at Baller League. As we expand to new markets next year, I have complete trust in their ability to support our growth.”
Ashley Lundström, Partner at EQT Ventures, adds, “Felix and the team are passionate, creative, and ambitious. With backgrounds in entertainment, sports-media and professional football – combined with an incredible ability to turn ideas into action – they are exceptionally well positioned to build the next generation of this sport.”
“Their grounded approach to bringing a loved sport back to its roots resonates deeply with us. We couldn’t be more excited about partnering with this team on their journey.”
The UK and US expansion
Baller League recently announced its expansion to the US and UK, with global stars KSI and IShowSpeed leading the leagues.
Iconic footballers, presenters, and influencers, including Luis Figo, Ronaldinho, Freddie Ljungberg, John Terry, Gary Lineker, Angry Ginge, and members of the Sidemen, will serve as team presidents.
The league features 11 matchdays, with each team playing once, followed by the top four advancing to the Final Four. The matches are played for 30 minutes, 15 mins/half, and the last three minutes of each half are played by Gamechanger rules such as Threeplay (3v3).
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