February 18 – Italian football is taking its engagement fantasy football to the next level with the announcement that the 20 clubs of Serie A have approved the league’s acquisition of a 51% controlling stake in fantasy football platform Fantacalcio.
The €18 million deal values Fantacalcio at more than €40 million, with the investment funded via a loan that will be repaid using the platform’s own future revenues. Founders Nino Ragosta and Luigi Cutolo will continue to run the business, but the league will be the overriding overlords.
Fantacalcio claims a user base of around three million players, generating an impressive €9 million in revenue in the 2025 financial year. Subscribers paying €12 per year for premium access have helped grow the platform, and attracted advertisers, pushing profits to over €4 million
The growth of Fantacalcio is an attempt to mirror the worldwide success of the Fantasy Premier League, which has become a global gateway to the Premier League, driving weekly engagement, social conversation, and sponsor value. With more than 12 million active users, it is the gorilla of fantasy games.
Fantacalcio is deeply embedded in Italian football culture and offers Serie A a similar opportunity.
Napoli, Fiorentina and Como voted against the deal, citing concerns over the valuation, while Roma and Cremonese abstained.
Serie A president Ezio Simonelli, said: “It was a very calm meeting… We made a series of decisions, including purchasing a majority stake in Fantacalcio, so we can enhance it with our images and create an increasingly attractive product.”
With sponsors Eni, Bancomat and McDonald’s already on board, Serie A is betting that fantasy football is now essential infrastructure to the growth and branding of the league. As leagues chase younger, digital-first fans, the rise of fantasy games is considered a must-have in league commercial portfolios.
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