First Pick Labs, Inc., owner of Draft Hero, LLC, Acquires Sideline Software, Inc., the Company Behind MyFantasyLeague.com

AUSTIN, Texas, Feb. 8, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- First Pick Labs, Inc. (First Pick Labs), is excited to announce the acquisition of Sideline Software, Inc., the pioneering company behind MyFantasyLeague.com. Known for its robust features, developer APIs, and customer first focus, MyFantasyLeague.com has been one of the most popular and respected fantasy football commissioner services for over two decades, earning the coveted FSTA award for Best Commissioner Service six times.

Sideline Software, Inc., started in 1993 by Mike Hall, revolutionized the way users managed their fantasy sports leagues when it launched one of the first desktop fantasy football commissioner services called "FFLM". Recognizing the potential of the internet to transform the industry, Hall collaborated with Kevin Austin, the creator of MyFantasyLeague.com, one of the first web-based commissioner services. Together they built MyFantasyLeague.com into one of the most popular and respected fantasy football commissioner services. Mike Hall and Kevin Austin were enshrined into the Fantasy Sports Hall of Fame in 2023.

First Pick Labs was founded in January of this year by industry veteran Ted Kasten. Kasten started Draft Dynamix, the leader in draft software for fantasy sports (now called Draft Hero) in 2004. He has advised numerous fantasy sports startups, including two bought by DraftKings, and was an early investor in FanDuel in 2015 (via a Piton Capital SPV). He also worked alongside many of the leaders in the fantasy sports industry while serving on the board of the Fantasy Sports Trade Association from 2007 to 2017. Kasten has been a leader in developing draft software and related tools for fantasy football, earning more FSTA awards than any competing draft software. His content and marketing partnerships have included many of the marquee names in fantasy sports including ESPN, CBS SportsLine, Yahoo, 4for4, FantasyGuru, RotoWire, ProFootballFocus, numberFire, Football Diehards, Fantasy Sharks and others.

Ted Kasten expressed his excitement about the acquisition: "Being able to own and operate one of the original, and most feature rich, fantasy football commissioner platforms is a once in a lifetime opportunity. You can't start a business like this today and be successful. My mission is to keep every feature that Mike Hall, Kevin Austin and Tony Fernandez have built over the years, including features and league styles that they were first to develop and can't be found on ESPN, CBS or Yahoo." Tony Fernandez will stay on as lead software engineer. Fernandez started his career at CBS SportsLine.com in 1995 and In 2019 was awarded the Matthew Berry Game Changer Award for his pioneering work building the first ever live scoring app for fantasy sports in the late 1990's. "I am thrilled to work alongside two hall-of-fame level talents and great people that I have known and respected for twenty years."

Mike Hall, who will stay on as President of First Pick Labs, also shared his enthusiasm: "We have the best and most loyal customers in the industry with some of our leagues going on 25 years and longer. I am confident that Ted's passion for fantasy sports, customer focus and innovative ideas will keep MyFantasyLeague.com a beloved platform for fantasy football fans for years to come."

About First Pick Labs, Inc.:

First Pick Labs, founded by Ted Kasten as part of this acquisition, is a leading provider of software solutions for fantasy sports. With a deep commitment to innovation and quality, First Pick Labs aims to enhance the fantasy sports experience for users. As part of this transaction, Draft Hero, LLC (drafthero.com), wholly owned by Kasten, will be merged into First Pick Labs. First Pick Labs was represented by Vela Wood.

About Sideline Software, Inc.:

Sideline Software, Inc., founded by Mike Hall in 1993, launched one of the industry's first desktop fantasy football commissioner services. In 2001, Sideline Software acquired MyFantasyLeague.com, one of the first web-based fantasy football commissioner services. Known for its comprehensive features and user-focused platform, MyFantasyLeague.com has been a favorite among fantasy football fans for over two decades.

SOURCE Draft Hero, LLC