New York investors financing sports technology deals in 2026

New York closed $2.1B in sports tech deals across 140+ investments in 2025. Most capital went to sports betting platforms and fan engagement tools. The city has every major sports league headquarters, which matters more than founders think. You won't convince a sports tech investor here without showing league relationships or betting market traction.

Quick list

Why New York for sports tech fundraising

New York investors funded 140+ sports tech deals in 2025, up 40% from 2024. Average Series A is $18M. Most capital went to sports betting ($840M), fan engagement ($520M), and athlete performance tech ($340M). The difference here is immediate access to league executives. Madison Square Garden, Yankees, and league headquarters are within 10 blocks of most VC offices.

NYC investors expect revenue before Series A. They've seen too many "Tinder for sports fans" pitches. Sports betting startups raised 60% of all NYC sports tech capital in 2025 because the regulatory path is clear and revenue is immediate. If you're building consumer sports tech without betting integration, you'll struggle here.

The downside is valuations lag SF by 20-30% for pre-revenue startups. But post-revenue companies get better terms here because investors understand sports business models better than Bay Area VCs. Penn Entertainment and DraftKings both do diligence in NYC before major acquisitions.

Picking the right New York sports tech investor

League relationships matter more than portfolio size here. Check if they've placed founders in meetings with NFL, NBA, or MLB executives. Those intros are worth more than capital. Most successful NYC sports tech exits came from strategic acquisitions by leagues or teams, not IPOs.

Betting experience is critical if you touch gambling. Regulators trust investors who've navigated New York's gaming laws. Elysian Park Ventures and SeventySix Capital have compliance teams that help portfolio companies avoid $5M+ mistakes.

Check sizes range from $500K seed rounds to $50M growth rounds. NYC sports tech funds typically write $2-8M Series A checks. They expect $3-5M ARR for Series A, higher than SF seed standards. Consumer sports apps need 500K+ MAU before anyone writes checks.

Media connections separate NYC investors from other markets. Raine Group and Eldridge can get you on ESPN or Fox Sports. That distribution is how Overtime and Underdog Fantasy scaled faster than competitors.

Share your deck through Ellty with trackable links. NYC sports tech investors review decks within 72 hours if they're interested. You'll see which slides they share with league contacts. Financial projections and market sizing get the most time.

Follow-on capacity matters because NYC has fewer mega-funds. Most local VCs can lead through Series B but you'll need coastal funds for Series C+. Plan your Series B round with both NYC and SF investors. Our professional services rely on clean documentation to support long-term client relationships.

How to find and approach New York sports tech investors

Research league deals through Sports Business Journal and Sportico. Every major NYC sports tech funding mentions which league executive made the intro. Those names matter. Check who invested in Fanatics, DraftKings, and SeatGeek early.

Leverage team connections at Yankees, Knicks, Rangers, and Nets. Their innovation groups scout startups and intro founders to investors. Madison Square Garden has a dedicated sports tech scouting team. Get in front of them first.

Build relationships at industry events. Sports Tech World Series, Hashtag Sports, and CAA World Congress happen in NYC. More deals close at the Standard Highline afterparties than in conference rooms. Elysian Park and Courtside partners attend every major event.

Share your pitch deck through Ellty before cold outreach. NYC sports tech investors expect professional materials. Upload your deck and send unique trackable links to each fund. You'll see which investors forward your deck to league contacts.

Attend Techstars Sports Accelerator demo days even if you didn't participate. Half of NYC's sports tech investors attend. SeventySix Capital and PSV scout there actively. Alumni intros work better than cold emails.

Connect with portfolio founders at DraftKings, Overtime, and SeatGeek. They'll tell you which funds actually help with league intros versus which ones just write checks. NYC sports tech is a small network.

Organize due diligence in an Ellty data room before meetings. Sports betting deals require extensive compliance documentation. Have your gaming licenses, state approvals, and financial models ready. NYC investors expect this on first meeting.

Understand NYC pace is slower than SF but faster than Boston. Expect 4-6 weeks from intro to term sheet. Sports betting deals take 8-10 weeks because of regulatory review. Consumer apps without betting close faster.

New York sports tech considerations

NYC investors prefer B2B2C models over pure consumer plays. They've watched Bleacher Report and The Players' Tribune struggle with monetization. Fan engagement startups that sell SaaS to teams raised 3x more capital than consumer apps in 2025.

Sports betting integration is almost mandatory now. FanDuel and DraftKings partnerships accelerate fundraising and provide revenue visibility. Pure content plays don't get funded unless you have 10M+ MAU.

Expect in-person meetings for every round. Video calls don't work in NYC sports tech. Investors want to see how you present to league executives because that's your customer. Budget travel costs into your fundraising timeline.

18 top sports tech investors in New York

1. Elysian Park Ventures

Dodgers ownership's fund leads the largest sports tech deals in NYC and writes $10-50M checks when they believe in the team.

• Recent Deals: Underdog Fantasy $485M Series C (2025), DraftKings strategic investments (2024-2025), Sports betting infrastructure plays
• LinkedIn: John Connaughton
• Sector Focus: Sports betting, fantasy sports, fan engagement, athlete performance tech
• Stage Focus: Series B, Series C, Growth
• Office Location: Manhattan, Financial District
• Website: elysianparkventures.com

2. Courtside Ventures

Former NBA executives who understand how leagues actually buy technology and can intro you to decision makers at every major league.

• Recent Deals: Overtime $100M Series D (2025), Buzzer $20M Series A (2024), Fevo acquisition by Ticketmaster (2024)
• LinkedIn: Matt Mazzeo
• Sector Focus: Fan engagement, creator sports content, ticketing tech, athlete platforms
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: Manhattan, Midtown
• Website: courtsidevc.com

3. SeventySix Capital

Philadelphia-based but leads major NYC sports tech deals and has direct lines into Madison Square Garden and Yankees partnerships.

• Recent Deals: WAVE $40M Series B (2025), Greenfly $28M Series B (2024), StatusPRO $5M seed (2023)
• LinkedIn: Chad Brooker
• Sector Focus: Venue tech, esports, athlete marketing, sports betting infrastructure
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: Philadelphia (active in NYC market)
• Website: seventysixcapital.com

4. Regah Ventures

Fitness tech specialists who led Strava's growth and understand how consumer health apps scale in dense urban markets.

• Recent Deals: Strava $110M Series F (2024), Whoop strategic round (2024), Eight Sleep growth investment (2023)
• LinkedIn: Regah Ventures Team
• Sector Focus: Fitness tech, wearables, health tracking, athlete performance
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Growth
• Office Location: Manhattan, Flatiron
• Website: regahventures.com

5. PSV (Patricof Sports Ventures)

Greycroft founder's sports fund with 15+ years backing sports tech and direct relationships with every major league commissioner.

• Recent Deals: SeatGeek growth round (2024), Rally Road acquisition support (2024), Satisfi Labs $3M Series A (2023)
• LinkedIn: Mark Patricof
• Sector Focus: Ticketing, fan engagement, sports collectibles, betting adjacent
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Series B
• Office Location: Manhattan, SoHo
• Website: patricofco.com

6. Vine Ventures

Early-stage fund that backed Fevo before Ticketmaster acquisition and focuses on group experience technology.

• Recent Deals: Fevo (acquired by Ticketmaster 2023), Rally (acquired by CME Group 2024), Locker Room Talk $2M seed (2024)
• LinkedIn: Vine Ventures Team
• Sector Focus: Group ticketing, social commerce, fan communities
• Stage Focus: Pre-seed, Seed, Series A
• Office Location: Manhattan, Chelsea
• Website: vinevc.com

7. Verizon Ventures

Corporate VC that funded Yahoo Sports betting integration and brings massive distribution through Verizon's customer base.

• Recent Deals: Yahoo Sports betting tech (2024-2025), 5G sports venue infrastructure (2024), Live streaming compression tech (2023)
• LinkedIn: Verizon Ventures Team
• Sector Focus: Sports media tech, 5G applications, streaming, betting infrastructure
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Strategic
• Office Location: Manhattan, Midtown
• Website: verizon.com/ventures

8. Brooklyn Bridge Ventures

NYC's most active early-stage fund backs technical founders building coach and athlete tools before product-market fit is obvious.

• Recent Deals: CoachNow $3M Series A (2024), HomeCourt AI (acquired by NEX Team 2023), Lineup seed round (2022)
• LinkedIn: Charlie O'Donnell
• Sector Focus: Coaching tech, athlete development, youth sports, training platforms
• Stage Focus: Pre-seed, Seed
• Office Location: Brooklyn, DUMBO
• Website: brooklynbridge.vc

9. Chicago Ventures

Midwest fund that invests heavily in NYC sports tech and understands both coastal and heartland sports markets.

• Recent Deals: Lineup $10M Series A (2024), Cameo sports features (2023), Athletic brewing distribution tech (2023)
• LinkedIn: Chicago Ventures Team
• Sector Focus: Sports roster management, athlete marketplace, fan platforms
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
• Office Location: Chicago (active in NYC)
• Website: chicagoventures.com

10. M13

LA-based but led Overtime Elite's NYC expansion and backs sports media platforms that can scale nationally.

• Recent Deals: Overtime Elite $80M (2024), Overtime $100M Series D co-investor (2025), Creator sports content platforms
• LinkedIn: Courtney Reum
• Sector Focus: Sports media, creator economy, youth sports, basketball platforms
• Stage Focus: Series B, Series C, Growth
• Office Location: Los Angeles (NYC deals)
• Website: m13.co

11. Flutter Entertainment (FanDuel parent)

Strategic investor that acquires micro-betting and same-game parlay technology to integrate into FanDuel's platform.

• Recent Deals: Micro-betting infrastructure (2024-2025), In-play trading technology (2024), Odds calculation platforms (2023)
• LinkedIn: Flutter Entertainment
• Sector Focus: Sports betting infrastructure, odds technology, payment processing, responsible gaming
• Stage Focus: Strategic, Growth, Acquisition
• Office Location: Manhattan, Midtown
• Website: flutter.com

12. Revolution Ventures

Steve Case's fund backed Autograph's massive raise and focuses on sports platforms with mainstream celebrity appeal beyond hardcore fans.

• Recent Deals: Autograph $170M Series B (2024), Sports NFT platforms (2023-2024), Athlete commerce tools (2023)
• LinkedIn: Revolution Ventures Team
• Sector Focus: Athlete NFTs, collectibles, celebrity platforms, sports commerce
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Growth
• Office Location: Washington DC (NYC investments)
• Website: revolution.com

13. Craft Ventures

David Sacks' fund led Sleeper's growth and backs social features that increase daily active usage in fantasy sports.

• Recent Deals: Sleeper $40M Series B (2024), Fantasy sports chat features (2023-2024), Social betting tools (2023)
• LinkedIn: David Sacks
• Sector Focus: Fantasy sports, social features, sports communication, betting social layers
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B, Growth
• Office Location: San Francisco (NYC portfolio)
• Website: craftventures.com

14. Eldridge (Todd Boehly)

Chelsea FC owner's holding company makes strategic sports media and technology investments with distribution advantages.

• Recent Deals: Sports media acquisitions (2024-2025), Betting content platforms (2024), Esports infrastructure (2023)
• LinkedIn: Eldridge Industries
• Sector Focus: Sports media, content distribution, esports, betting media
• Stage Focus: Growth, Strategic, Acquisition
• Office Location: Greenwich, CT (NYC area)
• Website: eldridge.com

15. The Raine Group

Merchant bank that funded DraftKings, FanDuel, and every major sports betting platform before IPO or strategic exit.

• Recent Deals: Sports betting pre-IPO investments (2024-2025), League digital media rights (2024), Ticketing acquisitions (2023)
• LinkedIn: The Raine Group
• Sector Focus: Sports betting, media rights, ticketing, esports infrastructure
• Stage Focus: Growth, Pre-IPO, Strategic
• Office Location: Manhattan, Midtown
• Website: rainegroupllc.com

16. KB Partners

Former MLB executives who invest in sports data analytics and know which metrics teams actually pay for versus vanity metrics.

• Recent Deals: Diamond Kinetics $8M Series B (2024), Trace $40M Series C (2023), Sports analytics platforms (2023-2024)
• LinkedIn: KB Partners Team
• Sector Focus: Sports data, analytics platforms, team performance tech, scouting tools
• Stage Focus: Series A, Series B
• Office Location: Manhattan, Midtown
• Website: kbpartnersllc.com

17. Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment

76ers and Devils owners invest in fan engagement technology that they can test with their own teams first.

• Recent Deals: Fan engagement platforms (2024-2025), Venue technology (2024), Ticketing innovations (2023)
• LinkedIn: HBSE
• Sector Focus: Fan engagement, venue tech, ticketing, team operations
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A, Strategic
• Office Location: Camden, NJ (NYC metro)
• Website: hbse.com

18. Matchpoint

European sports tech fund that expanded to NYC and brings international sports relationships that most US VCs lack.

• Recent Deals: Soccer tech platforms (2024), European league tools (2024), Global fan engagement (2023)
• LinkedIn: Matchpoint VC
• Sector Focus: Global sports tech, soccer platforms, international fan engagement
• Stage Focus: Seed, Series A
• Office Location: NYC expansion (2024)
• Website: matchpoint.vc

Start tracking your New York sports tech investor outreach

These 18 investors closed 140+ NYC sports tech deals in 2025-2026. Before you start reaching out to New York funds, set up proper tracking. League intros and betting partnerships take months to materialize.

Upload your deck to Ellty and create a unique link for each NYC investor. You'll see exactly which slides they view and how long they spend on your league relationships and betting integration plans. New York sports tech investors skip market size slides but spend 3-5 minutes on your revenue model and regulatory approach.

When NYC investors ask for compliance documentation or financial models, share an Ellty data room instead of messy email threads. Your gaming licenses, league NDAs, and betting integrations in one secure place with view analytics. You'll know which partners reviewed your materials before partner meetings.

Common questions

Do I need to be based in New York to raise from NYC sports tech investors?

No, but you need frequent NYC visits. Most successful NYC sports tech raises came from founders who spent 1-2 weeks per month in Manhattan building league relationships. Elysian Park and Courtside expect quarterly in-person updates minimum.

How does New York compare to San Francisco for sports tech fundraising?

NYC has better league access and sports betting expertise. SF has more growth capital for consumer apps. If you're building B2B tools for teams or betting infrastructure, raise in NYC. Pure consumer plays without betting get better terms in SF.

What's the average Series A size for sports tech in New York?

$18M in 2025, up from $12M in 2023. Sports betting startups averaged $25M. Fan engagement apps averaged $10M. You'll need $3-5M ARR or 500K+ MAU for those numbers. Pre-revenue rounds are mostly under $5M here.

Should I raise locally in NYC or go straight to SF?

Raise your seed in NYC if you need league intros or betting expertise. You'll need SF funds for Series B+ because NYC lacks mega-funds. Most successful sports tech companies have both coasts on their cap table by Series B.

Do New York sports tech investors expect in-person meetings?

Yes, for every meaningful conversation. Video calls work for initial screens but term sheets require 4-6 in-person meetings. Budget travel costs. NYC investors want to see how you'll present to Madison Square Garden executives because that's often your customer.

What sports tech categories get funded most in NYC?

Sports betting took 60% of capital in 2025. Fan engagement was 25%. Athlete performance tech was 15%. Pure content plays rarely get funded unless you have 10M+ MAU or direct league partnerships.

How important are league relationships for NYC fundraising?

Critical for B2B plays, less important for consumer betting apps. If you're selling to teams, you won't get funded without at least one league pilot or LOI. Investors expect you've already met with league innovation groups before raising.