Baller League — a brand new six-a-side soccer league that has attracted assist from legends like Ronaldinho, Gary Lineker, and Luis Figo — has raised $25mn from EQT Ventures because it seems to provoke a “new period” for the gorgeous recreation.
German entrepreneur Felix Starck co-founded the Baller League final 12 months alongside former gamers Mats Hummels and Lukas Podolski. The founders wished to vary the way in which youthful audiences have interaction, view, and work together with the world’s hottest sport.
The league, which is now increasing from Germany to the UK and the US, includes shorter 30-minute matches which can be accessible to stream on common digital platforms comparable to YouTube, TikTok, and Amazon’s live-streaming service Twitch.
“Sport is not as straightforward as simply saying ‘look, we’re right here now, come and watch us,’” mentioned Starck. “That’s simply not how sport works any extra. It must be thrilling, and it must be genuine. These are the 2 phrases that we at all times use at Baller League.”
Alongside a number of the recreation’s largest names, influencers Darren Jason Watkins Jr (KSI) and Olajide Olatunji (IShowSpeed) are additionally working with Baller League. The pair have a whopping 58 million YouTube subscribers between them.
KSI and IShowSpeed are set to steer the league’s newly arrange UK and US chapters, respectively. Ronaldinho, Lineker, Figo and different distinguished ex-players like John Terry, Alan Shearer and Freddie Ljungberg will function crew presidents.
The Baller League live-streamed its first matches from a repurposed aeroplane hangar in Cologne. It has quickly amassed practically a million followers throughout digital platforms. This has made it Germany’s prime Twitch channel and one of many international prime 5.
Baller League UK is ready to debut on 3 March 2025, with video games held each Monday by means of 19 Might. Matches can be live-streamed, with YouTuber Chunkz internet hosting a weekly present. Twelve groups will compete, with the highest 4 advancing to the playoffs the place they’ll battle it out to determine the season champion.
The Baller League drafts gamers from varied backgrounds, together with former academy gamers, free brokers, and just lately retired professionals or semi-professionals. Participant trials will happen in London and Manchester.
Baller League is assured that the fast-paced gameplay will resonate with followers worldwide, lots of whom grew up taking part in small-sided soccer on playgrounds and streets.
“Baller League is bringing a cherished sport again to its roots,” mentioned Ashley Lundström, Companion at EQT Ventures, the Swedish enterprise capital agency that led the funding spherical.
Baller League is a part of a brand new cohort of upstarts which can be utilizing influencers and social media to succeed in international, primarily youthful, audiences. Earlier this 12 months, former FC Barcelona defender Gerard Piqué raised €60mn for Kings League, a seven-a-side soccer competitors.
As upstarts like Baller League and Kings League garner extra followers, it stays to be seen how soccer’s institution will react. The previous guard could innovate inside their very own buildings to retain youthful audiences, a bit like how conventional banks responded to the rise of digital-savvy challenger banks like Revolut.
Both approach, this “new period,”, seems to be right here to remain. Let the video games start.
