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Splash Sports operates a skill-based, peer-to-peer real money gaming platform for sports enthusiasts. The company provides a suite of popular contest formats, including Survivor, Daily Fantasy Contests, Pick'Em, Confidence, Tiers, and One & Done, enabling users to compete directly against friends or in guaranteed prize pools. Its technology handles the secure collection of entries and distribution of winnings, allowing participants to focus on strategic gameplay in a legally compliant environment across most of the US and Canada.
The company was co-founded by Joel Milton and T.J. Ross, emerging from Splash Inc.'s acquisition of established platforms like RunYourPool and Office Football Pool. Their insight stemmed from a consistent user demand for real-money gaming options within their existing community-driven platforms. Milton and Ross recognized the opportunity to formalize and scale peer-to-peer real money contests, leveraging their experience to build a dedicated ecosystem for social sports gaming.
Splash Sports caters to individuals seeking to monetize their sports knowledge through competitive, social contests, as well as to commissioners who organize these events. The platform is designed for friends and groups, fostering a community-centric approach to gaming where users compete against each other rather than a central operator. Its long-term vision centers on transforming the gaming economy by empowering users to engage in secure, skill-based contests while continuously enhancing the social and competitive experience.
Splash Sports has raised $174.0M across 3 funding rounds.
Splash Sports has raised $174.0M in total across 3 funding rounds.
Splash Sports has raised $174.0M across 3 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $145.0M Series B in October 2025.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 8, 2025 | $145M Series B | — | — | Announced |
| Oct 1, 2025 | $15M Series B | — | Boston Seed Capital, Dream Ventures VC, Mike Gordon | Announced |
| Jan 1, 2024 | $14M Series A | — | Boston Seed Capital, Dream Ventures VC, Mike Gordon, Peter Jennings, SAM Kennedy, Theo Epstein, Adam Levitan, David O'Connor, Erik Seidel, Jonathan Kraft, Accomplice, Acies Investments, Counterview Capital, Elysian Park Ventures, K5 Global, Trybe Ventures, Velvet SEA Ventures | Announced |
Splash Sports has raised $174.0M in total across 3 funding rounds.
Splash Sports's investors include Boston Seed Capital, Dream Ventures VC, Mike Gordon, Peter Jennings, Sam Kennedy, Theo Epstein, Adam Levitan, David O'Connor, Erik Seidel, Jonathan Kraft, Accomplice, Acies Investments.
Splash Sports is a Denver-based technology company founded in 2021 that operates a leading skill-based sports gaming platform for peer-to-peer real-money contests, modernizing traditional office pools like NFL Survivor, Pick'em, and March Madness.[1][2][3] It serves sports fans, friends, and groups—primarily in the US and Canada—by enabling commissioners to easily create and manage contests with real-money prizes, solving pain points like manual money collection, poor mobile experiences, and insecure payouts through automated tools, live scoring, and secure processing.[3][5] The platform has shown strong growth momentum, with over 2.3 million active users, a $14.5 million Series B funding round in October 2025, expansion to multiple states, and initiatives like a $2M Commissioner Rewards Program.[1][2][4]
Splash Sports was co-founded in 2021 by Joel Milton and T.J. Ross under Splash Inc., which acquired established platforms RunYourPool and OfficeFootballPool that same year to integrate their user bases and respond to frequent user requests for real-money gaming options.[1][3][4] The founders drew from personal experiences like family NFL pick discussions at the kitchen table, aiming to preserve and enhance these traditions digitally; they merged RunYourPool and OfficeFootballPool into Splash Sports for unified improvements, faster mobile apps, and better support.[3] Early traction came quickly post-acquisition in 2023, with launches in 33 states, NBA collaborations, and a stealth build-up to real-money features, evolving from entertainment-only pools to a Commissioner Economy™ with rewards and partnerships.[1][4]
Splash Sports rides the wave of legalized real-money gaming and social sports betting post-PASPA repeal, capitalizing on demand for trusted, group-based alternatives to massive apps like DraftKings by focusing on peer-to-peer skill games amid regulatory shifts favoring operator-hosted contests.[1][4] Timing aligns with 2025's sports tech boom—evidenced by their $14.5M Series B and 2.3M users—as mobile adoption and AI/data analytics enhance personalized gaming, while market forces like fan fatigue with solo betting boost communal formats.[2] It influences the ecosystem by modernizing the $10B+ office pool category, empowering commissioners as earners, and partnering with leagues (e.g., NBA), fostering safer, community-driven competition over isolated gambling.[4][5]
Splash Sports is poised for national expansion with fresh Series B capital, likely adding more sports (e.g., MLB, NHL), states, and AI-driven features like predictive analytics or personalized leaderboards to boost engagement.[2][4] Trends like gamification of social media, crypto integrations for payouts, and stricter skill-game regulations will shape its path, potentially positioning it as the go-to for group fantasy amid a fragmented market. Its influence could evolve from pool modernizer to ecosystem builder, enabling commissioners as influencers and drawing more celebrity backers, ultimately redefining fan competition from casual bets to thriving communities—much like how it transformed kitchen-table picks into a multi-million-user powerhouse.[1][5]
